


Bedtime Stories

by The_Duchess_of_Fiction



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Not Crossover Pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-26 08:45:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 41,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/963947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Duchess_of_Fiction/pseuds/The_Duchess_of_Fiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crossposted from Fanfiction.net: In a vain effort to catch up to the Cure group, Klaus and Caroline find out that they aren't the only people who the world believes are stories. Cowritten by tumblr users, darlingklaroline, kcisroutine, and klaroline-fantasies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stopping in the Woods on a Supernatural Evening

Chapter 1: Stopping in the Woods on a Supernatural Evening

By some twist of fate, the barrier was down. Klaus walked outside, his pace mirroring his attitude, deliberate and deadly. However, he stopped in his tracks as he spotted the blonde vampire on the swing, several feet away from him. She shot up and backed away from him, the fear of a hunted animal glistening in her cerulean blues.

“Don’t worry, love. I’m not going to hurt you.” Klaus said as he walked over to her, his hands spread in a gesture of surrender.

“You’ve done enough.” Caroline spat.

“I have. I’ve done more than enough. For you Caroline… It was all for you.” Klaus said his voice barely above a whisper.

Klaus couldn’t believe it himself. He saved her life when he promised himself he wouldn’t. He showed her that she was right about him, that he wasn’t all bad just misunderstood. Klaus didn’t want to have a weakness but he couldn’t help it when the this woman was involved. Klaus felt something he hasn’t felt in centuries.

When Caroline said nothing, Klaus turned away from her with a sad nod. Things would go back to what they always were. She’d only go to him when she needed his help.

Caroline wanted to say something, she wanted to say something so badly, but didn’t know what to say. For a split second, she thought maybe an action would suffice. A slap… or a kiss. No. No, not now. Not a slap or a kiss.

As Klaus’ form disappeared, she sat back down and put her head in her hands.

How did things get so messed up, how had all this happened, how did her life get like this, her thoughts were like the wind, constantly asking herself the same question once she didn’t have an answer.

Klaus entered his manor at midnight,the moon a sliver of cream in the inky black sky. He walked into the living room and reached for the glass tumbler that sat on the coffee table.

He grabbed an empty crystal goblet and poured the amber whiskey into it.

Klaus tilted his head back immediately and let the scorching liquid travel down his throat. Klaus let out a deep breath as he sat down in his chair.

He needed a shower after three days but he couldn’t bring himself to stand, he could safely say that he was physically and emotionally exhausted.

Stressed, distraught and angry all at once, a combination he knew would not end well and the urge to burn this town to the ground was burning as bright as the flames in his fireplace, Klaus wasn’t the calm and collected man he always strived to be and he doubted he ever would be.

His brother was dead because of a bunch of teenagers. A one thousand year old original got outsmarted by a couple of teenagers. Klaus could almost laugh at the irony.

Granted they had an unusual relationship, he was his brother nonetheless. There was hell to pay, he couldn’t let this slide, he couldn't let this slide even if he wanted to. He had to avenge his brother. No matter what.

Not even a blonde distraction could make him forgive and forget that.

Even though she would never forgive him for killing her friends.

They killed Finn at first even though it was mostly his fault. Finn was on a suicide mission. Klaus didn't really care when his brother that lived in a box more than in real life was killed by them but now he did. He would avenge his siblings. Both of them. His family was torn because of them.

All those years ago they all made a pledge. They made a pledge that they would stick together no matter what. They pledged that they would live like a normal family. Klaus wanted that more than anything but now that chance was ruined. Elijah was traveling around the world somewhere while his baby sister was with her brothers’ killers.

His sister and the rest of the Mystic falls gang were on the island searching for the cure. It was for Elena but he couldn't take any chances. He had no doubt in his mind that they would force the bloody cure down his throat. They wanted him dead and he knew that as well as they did.

He had to get to the elusive cure before they did.  A positively grinch-like smile spread across Klaus’s lips as a plan formed in his head.

The first step was getting onto that damned island. He didn't want them to see him coming and so he decided to take a different route.

He would get to the island through Maine. Maine sounded like a good idea and Klaus smirked as he settled back down into his seat.

They wouldn't see him coming. They never saw him coming.

Klaus loved using that type of tactic. An element of surprise had always been his greatest weapon.

He would be killing two birds with one stone. Klaus would find the witch, doppelgänger, hunter, and the other blasted vampires and he would kill them. He would then get the cure and rid the world of it. He would make sure that nobody would ever find it or use it. Especially against him. He was the strongest creature that ever walked the Earth and he wasn’t about to give up that title.

Klaus internally smirked at his idea. He’d allow this woman to control him for far too long and he knew he had to take revenge, if not revenge, he’d kill them and kill all her hopes to save him, he was past saving but she was nothing if not headstrong so he’d kill them, just to prove a point.

Klaus was so far out that he didn't want Caroline thinking that he would just forgive her friends and sing kumbaya around a bonfire with them just because of her. He wasn't weak and he sure as hell did not need a weakness. If she would hate him because of his actions then so be it. He’d survive. He alway survived.

Klaus looked over at the fireplace and then at the half full tumbler.

He grabbed the tumbler and downed the contents immediately. The amber colored liquid did nothing for him. He wanted to feel numb but he didn't. Too much emotion had always been his problem, his downfall.

Klaus threw the now empty tumbler into the fireplace and it sizzled. The flames rose up as quickly as they settled down.

He would kill them. He would kill them all.

It was better if she hated them because then she wouldn’t change him. She’d be too busy hating him.

Klaus knew that he couldn't just sit around. Time was precious. For all he knew they had found the cure and were on their way back but Klaus wasn't going to surrender that easily. He would fight back and he would win.

He was going to kill them all and destroy the cure in the process.

She would hate him but he was fine with that, he would be fine with that eventually.

Klaus could deal with her hatred. He had dealt with hatred his whole life.

Leaving as soon as possible was ideal.

He got up to head for the door but he decided that since he was already up, he might as well take that shower before heading out.

With that he headed up to his room and to his private bathroom, ridding himself of his clothing and got into the shower. He felt relaxed immediately, he hadn’t realised how filthy he was until the water touched his body, he was smart to take this shower.

However it was a quick one, he made sure to wash his hair before he got out. He dried himself quickly and pulled on a pair of dark jeans, henley shirt, one tailored to his lean and muscled body and a leather jacket, he took his phone with him, in case his elder brother suddenly had the desire to check up on his siblings. He ran downstairs, grabbed his car keys and ran out the door immediately, he would make it look like he just ran out. Though, the hybrid didn’t neglect to shove a sketchpad, several pencils, and a change of clothes into a leather briefcase. No one would notice they were missing, given they didn’t know where he was going anyways, he had nothing to worry about.

He got into his car and drove away, he made sure to pass by the Gilbert’s home in hopes of seeing her there but she was already gone. He figured it was best, he was planning to kill her friends, if he saw that face once more time, he wouldn’t be able to do it.

Next Morning…

He was taking his time on purpose. Suddenly dreading the thought of having to kill them after a shocking realisation hit him hard in the chest.

Caroline would hate him, forever. She would never forgive him.

She was a vampire, she would live as long as him if she didn't get into too much trouble, she would spend her eternity hating him and he would regret his actions for the rest of his life, whether something happened to her or not. If he ever wanted to have a decent conversation with her, it would never happen because she would hate him too much to even look at him. At this rate, he’d arrive in Maine at night.

He’d check into a hotel, get a ship, and start his revenge with the sun.

She was still controlling him and she was not even there. He groaned at the thought.

\---

Caroline was driving at a pace that annoyed her to no end.

He’s been driving this slow since eight am that morning, and it was now ten. Frustrated, all Caroline wanted to do was ram her car into his until he finally decided to drive faster. Caroline didn’t know where he was going but she still followed. It was a plus that he hasn’t yet realised that she was tailing him. Caroline knew that she followed him partly out of curiosity.

It started last night, she was still in shock at his words and the meaning behind them that she couldn't say anything and when she did find her voice it was too late, he was already gone.

She knew where he went, back at the mansion, when she had drove there, she parked far from the house, and got out from the car yet didn't go anywhere near the door. She stood in the road and listened in, and didn't want to go in while he was venting and took his anger out on her, again. She stood right there and listened.

The next thing she knew, he was showering, getting dressed and heading back out to his car. Her curiosity was almost like a trance, what was he thinking? Where was he going? Was he on another one of those rage filled, vengeful schemes? Was he just going to pack up and leave without so much as a goodbye?

Where in the hell did the last part come from?

She shook her head, she stood and watched as he got into his car and drove off, she didn't waste any time, she got into her car and immediately followed and since then she’s been asking herself two questions.

Why was she following him and where was he going?

He was driving at a normal pace all throughout the night but this morning he just slowed down, she thought that he must  have figured out that she was following him but figured he would stop his car then stop there and ask her the same question she still asked herself, but he just kept going slow.

Hours Later…

It was already seven in the evening yet they hadn't reach his destination yet, she never went anywhere so she didn't know where she was going or how she was going to get back either yet she still followed him.

Klaus was still processing the consequences of his actions. Should he seek revenge for his brothers?

If he killed them, she’d hate him forever, she’d never forgive him, and for the rest of his immortal life he would have to live with that, for eternity.

On one hand, if he did kill them, it proved to him and everyone else on the planet that no one could do what they wished with him and get away with it but…. on the other hand, she’d never forgive him. Forever was a long time to hate someone, could he live knowing that she’d never forgive him for it, for seeking revenge against her friends?

Of course not, she’d hate him for an eternity. He would be seen as unredeemable and unforgivable in her eyes. If he wasn’t already.

Why should he care what one baby vampire thought of him, he barely cared about what his siblings thought of him.

And her words still haunted him as if they had just happened mere seconds ago.

“Anyone capable of love is capable of being saved.”

Damn her.

Damn her believing in him.

Damn her purity, her light.

Damn her.

In a split moment, of indecision and frustration, the hybrid pulled over to the side of the lonely highway, not far off from a bridge. In the distance, a wooden sign stood, saying Welcome to Storybrooke.

Quaint.

The dense forest that encompassed either side of the road, much like the forest of Mystic Falls. Tall oaks, misty fog, the scurrying of small animals.

With purpose, Klaus walked into the trees, sliding the car keys into his jacket pocket and stripped it off, placing it next to a particularly tall elm. Next came the pants, the shirt, shoes, and finally the cracking of bone.

Caroline gasped as the car finally stopped. Her booted foot slammed onto the brake and her head snapped forward, nearly slamming into the steering wheel. The hybrid she had been following stalking exited his SUV, his face brooding and stormy.

Slowing the car to a crawl, Caroline peered out of the car window and into the woods where the Original has disappeared. After several seconds, he disappears she breathes a sigh of relief, staring at the greenery.

And once again, the blonde’s curiosity got the better of her.

In a frustrated huff, she withdrew her keys and stepped out of the car, wrapping her arms around herself as she walked, to ward off the nippy air of dusk. Her boots made squelching sounds as she stepped off of the pavement and into the mud. Caroline was not unaccustomed to forests, though something about this particular one made her constantly look behind her. Dark shadows loomed forebodingly around her.

Despite her best intentions, her best efforts to resist fear, ever so softly she called out.

“Klaus…” She said, her voice carrying through the trees. Somewhere none too far off, a wolf with oceanic blue eyes snapped to attention, catching the scent of lavender, vanilla, and blood. His pointed drew back to hear a melodic voice say something, calling someone named Klaus. In the back of the wolf’s mind, that man was grinning.

The blonde stumbled against something and gripped a tall lonely tree in a clearing. When she righted herself, she noticed what exactly she had tripped over. With shaking hands, Caroline picked up the uber-masculine leather jacket and brought it to her nose.

Whiskey, sandalwood, and just a hint of after-shave. Utter and distinctly Klaus. Caroline absolutely loathed how she thought it smelled delectable, or how her hands unconsciously curled about it something fierce.

Dropping it from her nose, she examined the rest of the pile with growing worry. His dark wash jeans, that terribly sexy hunter green henley. His pair of god awful brown stomping boots. And a belt.

Shit.

Next to the pile, lay a trail of large paw prints.

The vampire whirled around, to follow the trail deeper into the fading light with her eyes, before turning and sprinting at vampire speed in the other direction. There was no way in hell she was getting her second werewolf--or rather hybrid--bite of the week.

Not far behind her, the wolf tracked her scent, at a pace nearly matching hers. The thrill of the hunt, the magic of the chase, was an allure to the man in either form.

Caroline kept glancing behind her, her head directed to the path she had haphazardly made through the brush, still running. Due to her blatantly ignorance to what lay in front of her, she neglects to see the protruding tree root.

She stumbled back and fell on her back hard, knocking the wind out of her. Groaned a little at the pain she felt throughout her body, she blinked a few times before closing her eyes once again.

Suddenly, something, or rather someone was on top of her.

Looking up frantically, panic, fear and terror all at once came across her features, she saw the wolf snarl at her, showing its razor sharp teeth. It was bigger than an ordinary wolf, teeth were longer, eyes were more golden, exactly like…

“Klaus?” she called softly.

Paw prints, clothes, everything came back to her as she realized that it was Klaus on top of her.

“Klaus…” she trailed off, silently hoping that he would recognize her voice and stand down, but it was a long shot. An incredibly dangerous, insane long shot, but it wouldn’t hurt to try, being as she was so close to death for the second time this week.

Surprisingly, he stopped growling at her when she called his name. The wolf cocked its head to the side, as if studying her carefully.

Then, she noticed that the fur, its paws, were getting heavier, as if it was trying to sink into her skin, but she could tell that Klaus knew it was her.

Snap.

She heard a snap, suddenly, he was transforming back on top of her, she wanted to shift away, but his grip on her seemed to tightened, trapping her,  as he was turning back, she squeezed her eyes shut again, oh how she didn’t want to be here, her pounding chest was proof of that, she should not have followed him, she should have stayed in the car, she should not have followed him.

“You can open your eyes now sweetheart” his voice was silky, heavily accented and completely filled with humor, something that irritated her or intrigued her, she couldn’t tell at the time.

She opened her eyes and saw that sexy and annoying smirk on his face, she assumed he would be angry that she followed him, but he was amused and somehow that made her angry.

It was then she noticed that his chest was naked, the same thing that used to happen to Tyler so she shouldn’t be as nervous as she was now. She hadn’t even seen him bare chested before, but she was too pissed at him to be concerned, now, she could faintly see an incredible body, she was trying her hardest not to widen that smirk on his lips if he noticed her. he wasn’t too buff like Tyler, just the perfect size, the right amount here and there to drive a woman into a frenzy.

No, none of that now, Caroline, she chided herself.

She looked into his eyes, there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach as they stared at one another, an electricity that sparked near the point of out of control. There they both were, she was fully clothed and he was butt naked….

Wait.

He was completely naked.

Her eyes widened in realisation and her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson, she didn’t know if being a vampire would have hidden it but she didn't want to find out, all she knew was that she needed to move, he needed to get off from her, his grip wasn’t tight as if he was forcing her to stay where she was, it was firm, as if keeping her there to prevent her from running away.

“Klaus” her broken and slightly hoarse voice called softly, she didn't know where that came from but she wasn’t going to waste him figuring it out, he smirked at her “You need to put some clothes on”

He let out a low chuckle, as if he was making fun of her, she wanted to pout but she was too unnerved with the fact that he was stark naked on top of her and she was willing her eyes and the rest of her body to resist giving into him, not to react to this new information but her body was itching to betray her.

How was she supposed to help not being laid in a while?

With the blink of an eye, he was gone, the faint sound of chuckling echoed throughout the forest, leaving an eerie feeling to it.

She shook her head and stood immediately, dusting off her dress, her jacket and ruffling out her hair to get out the wood chips and dirt from it.

She listened in to the calming sounds of the night, the little feets of little animals from here and there, she felt the slight wind that passed her, she inhaled and it smelt oddly like Klaus. It was an amazing smell, though the person attached to it was perfectly horrid.

She strained to hear some more, only to hear two rather fast heartbeats, as if they were scared, the heartbeat was so strong that she knew it was human, she inhaled deeper and smelt the rich scent of blood running through their veins, they were here but she could not see them, that made her a little uncomfortable and slightly scared.

“Hello?” She called, no one answered, the heartbeats grew quicker and the blood rushing through their veins seemed to quicken as well, they were getting scared.

“Who’s there?” she said again, this time, Klaus showed up with an amused facial expression.

“Just little old me love” he smirked, he was fully dressed back in his jeans and henley shirt and jacket but his hair was a mess of curls.

“Not you, dick. There’s someone out there but I can’t see them” she told him in an annoying tone.

“There’s no one out here but us Caroline” he said, becoming serious.

“I’m not kidding Klaus, listen”  she said, pointing to her ears, he did just stand and froze, he heard the heartbeats and smelt the blood but he searched frantically and saw something.

“Whoever’s out there will do well to answer” he growled lowly.

Nothing happened.

“They sound close, like standing right in front of us but I can’t see anyone” Caroline groaned, feeling a bit fearful now but not showing it quite yet.

“I agree love and it is becoming annoying” he said, rather loudly, as if to alert whoever was out there to come forward.

Still no answer.

“I’m not opposed to taking a few hearts.” he said with a sadistic smile on his face and Caroline rolled her eyes at his threat.

Suddenly, there was a giant puff of maroon colored smoke in front of them, it was beautiful, slightly sparkly and almost magical and as the smoke disappeared, there stood two humans standing there with a look of awe at them, and an underlying sense that they weren’t quite human.

A man and a woman.

The woman had this commanding yet maternal feel to her, with short raven hair, red lips, luminous and cunning eyes and was currently snuggled in a long black coat and the outfit was finished off with a pair of long boots.

The man was much older than the woman, hair as long as his head, an awestruck look on his face and a cane in his hand.

They both looked like they just saw a ghost,

Caroline was more awestruck, as she always looked in the presence of magic but Klaus wore his signature mask of confusion and curiosity, with the scrunched eyebrows and the dimples halfway visible. At the same time, he wanted answers. He wanted to know who were they, how did they do that, because the last time he checked, witches don’t really pop up with a purple puff of smoke.

“That was an interesting trick” Klaus smirked and the man seemed to have gotten over his shock to smile warmly at them. Yet, it wasn’t a warm smile, rather what the man thought was one. It had a distinctly reptilian feel to it, like a crocodile trying to grin at potential prey.

“I could say the same about you” he retorted “That was impressive” he added, in an awestruck tone.

“Definitely impressive” the woman stressed with a seductive and knowing smirk.

Regina stared at the beautiful man in front of her, not even acknowledging the blonde at his side, she would like someone like him to warm her bed. Saying he was handsome was an insult, he was a gorgeous man and she was sure that he would make an excellent bed buddy. Perhaps if she got his heart...

Caroline fought the urge to roll her eyes at her obvious suggestion while Klaus’ smirk only widened.

“Stroke his already giant ego…” Caroline mumbled.

“You took quite the fall, are you alright?” the man asked, staring at Caroline.

“You were here the whole time?” Caroline shrieked, her eyes widening with embarrassment.

They both nodded as if it was a normal thing to do, though Caroline--and to a lesser degree, Klaus--were a bit creeped out. Who the hell spies on people in the middle the woods, at night?

“Let’s start with introductions shall we?” the man perked up with a smile.

“You read my mind” the woman purred, eyeing Klaus, Caroline really wanted to not be here right now.

“I'm Mr. Gold” he said. “This is Regina” he pointed to the woman next to him “and you are one of the most fascinating person I have ever laid eyes on” he ended, pointing right at Klaus.

“I can say the same about you mate, I’ve seen my fair share of magic but none included a puff of purple smoke”

“I’ve seen my share of werewolves, but could come at the beck and call of the dead. Even one so lovely as your companion.” he replied, his wit not skipping a beat in response to said werewolf.

Klaus gave them a glare before deciding to let it slide, not without his signature death glare. The man and woman nodded and the woman’s eyes roamed over Klaus’ body.

“I’m Klaus and this is Caroline.”

The woman’s eyes roved over Klaus’s form, sparking a sense of …. something in Caroline. She nudged him on the shoulder and Klaus looked over at her confused.

“What?” He asked.

Caroline said nothing as she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at the Original Hybrid. She looked back at Mr. Gold and Regina and came to a conclusion immediately.

“Well, Klaus and Caroline where did you come from?” Regina questioned. For some reason, the woman made Caroline very very nervous. And that had nothing to do with how she had looked at Klaus. Not one bit.

There was something else there.

“Around,” Caroline answered, skillfully dodging .

“Specifics deary.” Mr. Gold said, his voice taking a dangerous but playful tone.

“Neither of us can be too specific.” Klaus said. “I’ve lived everywhere. You know there are benefits to being one thousand years old.”

Gold’s expression instantly turned from one of cool and collected calm to one of downright fright. Caroline had always had a knack for reading people. Gold was dangerous, no doubt about that. Moreover, he was hungry. Not for food or water. But, for power.

Well he was.

"One thousand years old? That's impossible." Regina said.

"Plenty of things are possible in my world, love. I’m Mr. Impossible." He said with a smirk on his lips.

Caroline could feel her anger riling up as Klaus spoke to the woman like Regina like that. Caroline never did care for his pet names for her but she didn't like it when he called other women by her pet names. She knew it sounded ridiculous but she couldn't help it.

“Well, nice to meet you. Now, Klaus and I need to get going…” Caroline said with a haughty toss of her blonde hair and she grabbed Klaus’s well-muscled arm. He looks at her for a second, a stunned expression lighting up his face before it settled in a victorious look, like a vampire in a blood bank.

“Wait” Mr. Gold stopped them and they both whipped around to meet his eyes as the corners of his lips tugged into a small semblance of a smile “Where do you plan on staying for the night?” he asked.

“Um…” she hadn’t thought of that, she hadn’t thought of that at all.

“With me, I hope.” Klaus muttered, so that only Caroline could hear. It took all of her well bred, Miss Mystic Falls decorum not to punch him in the face right then and there, though she was able to subtly elbow him… in the groin.

Klaus groaned and Caroline looked over at him with a devilish smirk before turning away from him.

She whipped her hair and looked Gold right in the eyes.

"Is there a hotel around here?" Caroline asked him innocently and Gold could almost see the same personality in her as Belle. The same kind of light, innocence, hope in her eyes. And most of all, the love for a beast, even if she, unlike his Belle, denied it.

"There isn’t anything of the sorts here, but we do have a nice little bed and breakfast, but it looks like there is only one room available." Gold said as he looked into the distance, a smirk forming on his face.

"How do you know that there is only one room available?" Klaus questioned.

"I just do and probably because I own the hotel." He shrugged.

Caroline nodded and Klaus tried to keep himself from smiling. Things seemed to be looking up for him.

"Do follow me. I heard a storm is coming." He said as he looked up at the darkened sky. Klaus looked up as well, still undecided whether the darkness was magical or if there really was rain on it’s way.

“Just let us get our cars.” Caroline said quickly, still hesitant to go along with the strange man and the sultry woman.

“I don’t think that’s necessary Miss…” said the woman, her eyes still trained on Klaus. In response, Caroline’s body responded as her grip tightened around Klaus’s arm in an almost possessive fashion.

“Forbes.” Caroline said through gritted teeth. “And I would like my car. So just give me directions and I’ll be on my way.”

The woman was like ice. Snake-like in her observation of the blonde she lifted her chin to look at her. She then turned to her male companion.

“Doesn’t she remind you of someone?” Regina said to Gold, her tone indicating that the someone she was referring too needed no sort of distinction.

“Blonde and pushy?” Gold said, a faint twinkle in his eye. Then he looked at Caroline the smirk on his face. “You might just meet your match, princess.” and then he turned to Klaus, giving him directions to get to said hotel.

The vampire was however lost in her own thoughts. Why the hell would he--a man who she had met a total of five seconds--call her princess? And more importantly, did she have a doppelganger of her own? One that the magical pair seemed to know?

And maybe loathe.

Later…

It didn’t take that long for Caroline and Klaus to find the motel. Granted the town was small, the kind of Mystic Falls small that made Caroline grin. Caroline felt safer knowing that she was in a town that was almost as small as Mystic Falls. Caroline obviously wanted to explore the larger cities in the United States such as New York, Los Angeles, and Miami but she wasn’t ready. Not at that moment at least.

The hotel was called Granny’s Bed and Breakfast. A clock tower stood in the square and off by the docks. Caroline swore she saw the mast of a ship but the silhouette disappeared as quickly as it had shown.

They went in the building and Gold was waiting for them at the front. He went around back and handed them the keys to a suite.

“Does this suite have two beds?” Caroline asked immediately, her eyes filled with a desperate sense of hope.

“No it doesn’t. Just a queen sized bed.” Gold answered.

“But…” Caroline began to say.

“You guys aren’t sleeping together?” Gold guessed as he played with the keys in his right hand.

“Of course not!” Caroline shrieked, hoping that my putting that much revolt in the statement it would mask her indifference “Why would you think that?” she questioned.

“You both did looked quite cosy in the woods when he was less than decent” he replied, giving a quick glance at Klaus, tone dripping with sarcasm “Plus it is kind of obvious.” He shrugged. “Anyway, this is the only room left. One of you could probably sleep on the floor even though it isn’t very comfortable.” He added as he handed Klaus the keys.

Gold was interested the 1000 year old that stood in front of him. Immortality was something that he held as a fascination, it was an obsession in another time. He wanted to hear how it was possible for a twenty five year old man to actually be one thousand years old because of all the stories he’s come across, this one he was dying to hear.

Klaus took the keys and motioned to the stairwell.

“Have a wonderful stay!” Gold called from the reception area, his shit eating smirk nearly audible.

Klaus turned back at him and nodded. He would make sure their stay was wonderful.

The two began to walk up the stairs and Caroline stopped for a minute and turned to Klaus.

“You’re sleeping on the floor.” She said.

“No I’m not.” Klaus insisted her, very much looking forward to showing Caroline just how good he could be in bed.

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest angrily and stared up at him.

“We’re going to sleep on the bed together. I’m tired, you’re tired. Perfect idea.” He said as he pushed the door open.

Caroline followed him out of the stairwell, a bit reluctantly, still not settled with the issue of “sleeping together”, and the two walked to their room for the night.

He unlocked the door and motioned for Caroline to enter the room. As she entered, she looked around the cozy area.

Her eyes landed on the queen sized bed in the center. She would be sleeping with him on the same bed and she couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t accept it, she corrected. But, it was just for one night. No funny business, no romantic moments. He was right, she was tired and she didn’t feel like arguing with him.

“You stick to the left side and I am going to stick to the right. Do you understand?” Caroline ordered.

He smirked “Whatever you say love” his tone sounded as if he was mocking her or challenging her…. maybe both.

Caroline nodded and looked for the duffel bag that she thought she brought with her.

“Shit,” she muttered.

“Problem, love?”

“I don’t have anything to wear.” She groaned irritated.

“I think I could help.” He said as he removed his henley and handed it to her.

“Why in the hell are you giving me your shirt?” She said, before even thinking. When she did process it a slow blush came to her cheeks. “No. No way are you sleeping half-naked. No way.”

“I am just trying to be a gentleman. Chivalry isn’t dead you know. Take the shirt, Caroline.”

“I don’t need your shirt. I’ll just use my dress.” She said.

“Sleeping in a dress isn’t comfortable. Take the bloody shirt, Caroline.” He stressed, trying not to raise his voice at her.

“Fine,” she gave up.

“Good, go and take a shower first. I’ll go after you.”

“Okay,” she nodded as she grabbed the Henley from his hands.

She walked into the bathroom and removed her clothing, tossing it to the side as she went without a car where it landed. She turned on the warm water and jumped inside. A calming sensation went through her as the warm water hit her sore body. She was exhausted. Drained. And completely and utterly lost.

No less relying on Klaus in a town full of weird strangers.

Caroline stood in the shower for several minutes and thought about the day’s events.

Once she was finished she wiped her body with the fluffy white towel and pulled on his Henley. She could smell his scent, intoxicating and comforting like the jacket, on it as she sniffed it, she wanted to smile at the scent but refrained. Caroline wore nothing underneath, leaving the slightly muddy lacy bra and panties in the sink to soak.

When Caroline left the bathroom, Klaus turned his attention up to her, from checking his cell phone. His Henley hugged her curves perfectly, bringing out the white blonde in her hair and accenting the creamy white of her skin. Klaus could feel his manhood begin to twitch.

No, he told himself, subtly throwing his phone on the bed and sticking his hand into his pocket.

Caroline ignored him as she went over to the right side and lay down. She covered herself with the thick brown blanket and closed her eyes, her hair fanning out on the white pillow.

“I’ll be out in a few.” Klaus told her, quietly, casting another look at her. Her eyes didn't open but she slightly nodded her head already on the brink of sleep.

He made his way towards the shower and rid himself of his remaining clothes. He turned on the cold water and jumped inside.

He looked down at his hardened length and groaned.

The likelihood he was getting action tonight was next to none so he found a way to turn and relieve the tension that had been a constant pain for months. Many sleepless nights had been spent letting out the desperate feelings towards the blonde vampire, and tonight was no exception. Only difference was the whole reason for his pleasure was just outside the door.  

As the cold water hit his back he pumped his length a number of times, with a well practiced hand, before he felt his climax. When he came, he let out a deep breath and put his hand on the white tiled wall.

He ran his fingers through his damp blonde curls and once he was finished, he got out.

Putting on the boxer briefs he rarely wore, but for some reason had worn today, he pushed the bathroom door open and clumsily made his way over in the general direction of the bed.

Caroline opened her eyes because she heard him come out. She quickly snapped her eyes when she spotted him in only his boxer briefs. She refused to check out the bulge.

“Am I distracting you, love?” Klaus asked, with one eyebrow cocked.

“No,” she answered, though it sounded weak, even for her.

“Good,” he smiled as he walked to his own side. He climbed under the covers and closed his eyes. Though he pretended to be near sleep, in truth his body was pounding with energy. It looks all his years of self control to not grab her and have her then and there.

“Goodnight Caroline... Sweet dreams.” He said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Caroline said, “Likewise.” before she closed her own eyes. For a second she felt like curling up into that rock hard chest and using that as a pillow, but the feeling passed as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Downstairs, Granny and Ruby was closing up their doors for the night after letting Regina and Gold out, Ruby herself found it extremely out of character that Mr. Gold would want to welcome guests himself but didn’t complain about it. Much less throw a fit.

Before Ruby and Granny could leave, they heard a knock on the door. Ruby walked over to door expecting to see Mr. Gold but an unfamiliar young man stood there with a playful grin on his lips. He wore a hunter jacket with a thousand pockets, with a pair of white earbuds dangling out of them. His dark brown hair was tousled by the wind and his hazel eyes sparked.

Ruby opened the door for him and he sauntered in.

“We’re closed.” Ruby told the young man, her eyes trailing down his body, though she kept her resolve. Still I didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate a nice object when she saw one.

“Are you now?” He questioned, in a surprisingly charming British accent.

“Yes, and there aren’t anymore rooms available.” Ruby told him.

“Oh come on, darling. At least let me sleep on the couch over there. I have nowhere else to go.” the man frowned.

“We don’t allow our guests to sleep in the lobby.” Ruby said.

“Miss!” Kol called out to the old lady.

Granny walked over to Ruby and the unfamiliar man.

“Yes?” Granny questioned.

“I really do need a place to sleep. It looks like it’s going to rain and I think my brother is here.” Kol begged, gesturing to the upper level. His eyes looked positively puppy-ish.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. As I’m sure, Ruby said there is no more room left.” Granny said, her voice apologetic.

“Ma’am, please.” Kol pleaded as he reached for Granny’s hand and they shared a look of sympathy before they nodded, allowing him to sleep on the couch for the night.

\---

Under a cloudy sky, Regina and Rumpelstiltskin quickly made their way to his shop in silence, their feet the only sound on the streets. It wasn’t far but it was far enough, or that was what Mr. Gold hoped.

He quickly opened the doors and allowed Regina to enter before closing them immediately and finally being able to speak after holding their tongues for so long.

“Do you really think this man is a thousand years old and not just trying to be funny?” she asked, looking at him. She was scared. Immortality did that to people. He relished in his immortality, whereas others vainly seeked it.

“He didn’t seem to be lying…” He stated, grabbing a letter opener from the table and playing with it in his long fingered hands. “The real question should be is how he’s a werewolf with a will. Similar to Ruby in that regular, but different. Much different.” Gold replied, as he made his way behind the glass counters, still holding the ivory and steel object.

“What of the girl” Regina asked, with slight venom. Gold resisted the want to laugh. Was poor Regina jealous of yet another blonde? “How can she be a corpse yet be able to run and hide?”

“I haven’t a clue, Regina.” He spat, getting a bit tired of her slowness. And him not knowing the answers. “They are the first of their kind I’ve come across such creatures. Do you know why I came here to talk instead of just speaking freely at Granny’s?” Gold asked, hoping that Regina had at least picked up on the more important points instead of ogling the man the entire time.

“No…” she trailed off, waiting for an answer and Gold shook his head at her and sighed heavily and dramatically.

Hormones, hormones, he thought. No matter where you are from and how old you are, they always somehow take control. The immortal man could be an attest to that.

“Their hearing is heightened. They heard our heartbeats, that means if we said anything there, there was a chance that they would overhear us.” Gold explained to her, impatiently.

But Regina was tired, she wanted to see Henry and mostly, she just wanted to get rid of Greg and Tamara once and for all. She wanted to go home, besides, they were going to wake up in Storybrooke anyways, might as well question them in the morning.

“Gold, it’s late, I don’t feel like playing the guessing game right now. Let’s just try to get as much information from them tomorrow, they’ll be here anyways” she smirked at the thought of getting that very delicious man in her bed. A thousand years or not, he was an excellent specimen. And with hopefully a thousand years of experience.

“Fine, come in early and we’ll get Ruby and Granny to prepare them breakfast so we can have a proper chat, you and everyone else can deal with Greg and Tamara. Goodnight Regina” he smirked, shooing her away and disappeared into the back immediately.


	2. Til' Morning

Hello everyone!

Thank you so very much for everyone who has supported this story, we’re super excited to show all of you where it goes!

So sorry it took a bit for us to push this thing out, but here’s the reward of this huge chapter.

You can follow us on tumblr at Hana (kcisroutine), Cindy (klaroline-fantasies), and Kat (supernturals/darlingklaroline).

Thanks again, and we hope you enjoy the chapter!

\- Cindy (klaroline-fantasies), Kat (TheDuchessofFiction), and Hana (klaroline-heaven)

Chapter 2 - Til’ Morning

As the morning sun streamed in through the windows, Klaus awoke to a warm glow in his eyes. As his eyes got adjusted to the room around him and the memories of yesterday flew through his mind as if to remind him of the events, he looked across from him hoping to see her sleeping on her side when he noticed that she was using his chest as a pillow.

A hint of a smile on her lips, she looked perfectly content, with one hand under her head and the other thrown around the bare expanse of his torso. Caroline was absolutely adorable when she slept, golden hair fanned elegantly on his chest, hiding her cheeks from the sun’s now vicious attack. It gently glowed a fiery halo.

One of her legs swung over his as one of her hand rested flatly against his chest. She was cuddled in his shirt, which with her contorted position had rode up to not even cover her ass. Which was completely and utterly bare.

His eyes travelled down, admiring her form slowly, leaving not an uncovered inch unnoticed. The opportunity was almost too good to pass up.

Klaus could see the rise and fall of her chest as she slept, completely uninterrupted.

As much as he wanted to jump into yet another cold shower to relieve himself of the bulging pressure he felt after staring at her practically naked form, he couldn't. He didn't want to wake her, she’d immediately jump to conclusions, mainly blaming him for her position. Or more importantly, she’d ruin the show and cover up. It’s not like he turned her from her previous position last night to face him and lifted her to lay on him and not woken her in the process, but she would somehow find a way to blame him. The hybrid was definitely not in a mood to argue on what looked already to be a beautiful morning. Besides, she looked so peaceful, so angelic in her sleep.

Trying desperately to rack his brain for a less than arousing memory, hopefully to rid himself of his morning erection, he managed to stumble upon a compromising position he found his younger brother in a couple of centuries ago with two women. It was gone within seconds and he sighed in relief, actual relief.

The very thought of his brother Kol brought both inexplicable anger and heart-wrenching sorrow in him.

His dead corpse flashed into his mind and he felt his eyes burn with unwanted tears. The veined grey of his skin, the glassiness of his eyes still twinkling from their last snarky comment or joke.  Klaus had always threatened to kill Kol, but all they had been were empty threats.

Kol had been the annoying one, after several centuries it had been such an intrical part of his personality, none of the Mikaelson’s could remember him without it. It was unusual for him not to taunt or ridicule them, to call them ‘strumpet’ or ‘bastard’, though he had carefully avoided calling Klaus that, for fear of a dagger threat. Not that he didn’t get several a day anyways.

The thought of avenging both of his brothers’ deaths were in his mind again and that brought him back to the little angel lying in his arms silently.

Hating him forever, until the end of time for killing her friends, he knew this. She was a stubborn girl, a trait he admired in her. He was so angry at her, at himself that he felt the urge to hunt last night, bringing him to pull over to the side of that lonely country highway and rush out to relieve some of his anger out of innocent animals or stupid humans, not caring which dared to stumble into his path in the forest.

After hearing that sweet voice call him, part of him thought it was all in his head, as if she was now becoming his conscience and that thought alone scared him.

He heard her voice call him again but more firm, but with a hell of a lot more emotion in it, and he knew he wasn’t imagining her voice. Questions upon questions invaded his thoughts about her reason for being here, in Maine, with him.

She however sounded worried and scared, he immediately ran to her, he was a blur to all the little forest animals around him, without a single coherent thought in the world.

He heard quick little feet moving quickly, crashing made in the wake of her running, and knew that whoever she was scared of was on the run. So he ran after that person instead, running for so long that his vision became a blur. Once the scent of blood got at it’s strongest, he pounced on top of the threat.

He snarled at the person, showing them that he was deadly, and that their impending doom was imminent.

That’s when he heard that voice again, but it was soft though it still carried the sing songy tune, this time sounding a bit like a broken record.

Then he heard her again, much more clearer, as if she was in front of him.

That’s when his vision cleared and he saw her lying on the ground, him on top of her and she was positively terrified. Blue eyes wide, her pupils dilated and under his paws he felt her relax, as if welcoming death.

Shutting his mouth, he put his teeth away to try to relieve her of her terror, she did seem to relax at this, though only slightly.

There were so many things happening last night, he had forgot to ask her a question that he would really be interested to know.

Why did she follow him?

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------B+S------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline awoke about an hour later than Klaus, confused. She didn't remember the pillow being so hard and so she turned to the side and yelped when she realized that  where she had lain her head was Klaus's exposed chest.

Klaus, who had been in a doze, shot awake and looked around the room confused. His hand was still resting across Caroline's upper body, just below her breasts on her ribcage.

"What the hell?" Klaus questioned as he turned to a wide-eyed Caroline.

"You didn't stick to your side." She said, her voice weak. She had meant for her voice to come out pissed, however that too betrayed her. It was very hard to deny that she had slept well in his arms.

Klaus quickly removed his hand from her upper body, with a slightly red tint to his cheeks. The  surprising heat from his skin still stayed on her skin, like burns.

"Why didn't you stick to your side?" Caroline repeated, this time as a question.

"Forgive me, love... When I woke up an hour ago your head was resting on my chest.” he replied, cheekily, his dimples hinting at a smirk.

"You should have woken me up!" She shouted, scooting her body to the other side of the bed, as far as possible away from Klaus.

"I didn't want to. You looked so content, sleeping… in my arms" He said with no hint of regret. Caroline sent him a death glare.

"It doesn't matter. You should have told me." she snapped, running her fingers through the fizzy halo of blonde curls.

"I don't understand what the problem is... We didn't do anything." Klaus stated, suggestively raising one eyebrow.

"That's the thing!" Caroline yelled before she could stop herself.

"What do you mean?" Klaus questioned as he raised the other eyebrow at her in confusion and asking for clarity.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Forget I said anything." Caroline said as she got out of bed.

Klaus' eyes traveled down the length of her body and he sighed. She was absolutely magnificent.

Caroline didn't turn to Klaus as she made her way into the bathroom. She was feeling all hot and bothered and she didn't know what to do. She shouldn’t feel that way. It was completely and utterly unacceptable.

"Ugh!" She cried out annoyed as she looked into the mirror.

Klaus sprang out of bed when he heard her cry and speeded over to the bathroom. He pushed the door open and let out a sigh of relief  when Caroline was just looking in the mirror, her hands clutching the countertop so that her knuckles were white and her eyes glared back at her.

"Get out!" She shouted as she threw a towel at his face. It was hard not to laugh, the scene so domestic and ridiculous.

"I thought something happened." He said, his eyes downcast as he shuffled back into the bedroom.

Kol smirked at them both, he shook his head at his brother’s situation.

He had thanked the delicious Ruby for allowing him to sleep on the less than comfortable couch for the night and left immediately, not wanting to just spring his presence on his brother, but he needed answers, for one, how was he alive, if he even was, how could people suddenly see him after stepping foot in this town.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------B+S------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gold wanted to go back to Belle...he meant Lacey but he didn’t want to deal with her attitude, it wasn’t the woman he fell for, she wasn’t the woman he wanted, he wanted Belle, the beautiful bubbly woman he fell in love with, who loved him for who he was regardless of what he has done, he knows he didn’t deserve her, but was willing to fight for her anyways, instead, he’d much rather learn more about the man and woman that came to town last night, he made sure to ask Granny to welcome the two of them into the diner so that he’d catch up to them, he entered the shop and Granny nudged her head into the direction where the couple sat who was now looking at him and he nodded at Granny before approaching them, greeting them with a good morning as he sat down next to the blonde and then that’s where the stare-off contest begins. Gold didn’t know what he has done to offend him but now the man sitting across from him wanted to harm him for some reason but he was Rumpelstiltskin and he was no coward to back down from a fight.

Even if his opponent was a thousand years old.

Caroline looked at both men at the table, oddly feeling like a third wheel, they glared at each other as if one of them would burst into pieces anytime soon, no smirks, no mischief, just hard cold, calculating stares, as if carefully trying to figure each other out.

“None of you seem to be combusting anytime soon so can you stop with the staring, you’re making me uncomfortable” Caroline blurted out in one breath, suddenly feeling like she had interrupted something immediately. Their eyes shifted from each other to her and now she felt like she was an object being observed. And Caroline Forbes hated being an object. She had fought that her whole life.

“My apologies deary” Mr Gold chimed and Caroline gave him a glare. Only people she trusted--for some reason Klaus was included in that number--could call her pet names.

“Caroline does have a point and I do have places to be so let’s just skip all the pleasantries and get to the good stuff” Klaus suggested, more like stated with a smirk at her outburst.

“You are odd. And I’m a curious man at heart. What are you?” Mr. Gold stated, without any emotion. Here was a man who was purely interested in knowledge, though he seemed to carry himself with that same dangerous air as Klaus.

Klaus sat back ,impressed. The man did not fear him yet and he was straight forward.

“You have more than meets the eye. So, before I divulge my secrets, I’d like to hear so truth. Let’s start with our real names” Klaus sneered and leaned forward against the table “Mr. Gold”

The man smirked at his words.

Caroline looked back and forth at them both, not wanting to be here at all, but it’s not like she can just up and leave. Whether she liked it or not, her fate was now attached to Klaus.

“I’ll start, I’m Caroline Forbes, and you are?” Caroline gestured to the man sitting in front of them with a cane in his hand and a smirk on his face. She tried to keep the cheery cheerleader smile on her  lips.

“You won’t believe me if I told you” he sounded amused, which made Klaus smirk wider.

“Try us” Klaus answered with a wolfish smile on his face.

The man nodded “My name, is Rumpelstiltskin.” He had a mocking grin on his face, like he was completely and utterly right.

Caroline and Klaus froze, both glanced at each other at the same time, before bursting into laughter, one that caught the attention of everyone else in the diner but they couldn’t help it. Caroline couldn’t help it and Klaus couldn’t pass up a good opportunity to have a good laugh. It was just so completely and utterly ridiculous!

“Mr. Gold the magician is more believable” Klaus chuckled.

Caroline tried to stop laughing “I’m sorry, I really am”

“She really is” Klaus laughed and got an elbow in his gut.

“What?” he winched.

“So what you’re going to say next, the woman you were with is the Evil Queen?” Caroline laughed and the serious look on his face told him that she had actually guessed right. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” she muttered under her breath, throwing her body back against the red vinyl of the booth.

“Stop lying.” Klaus snarled, his body tensing up next to her as he slammed his hands down on the formica table top. His eyes hinted at gold, and ever so slightly a sliver of white protruded over his lip.

“That’s the thing.” he said, his voice suddenly powerful  and commanding “I’m not.”

Klaus raised one eyebrow at him, with an expression that clearly said ‘you’re crazy.’

“I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced to this town. The name Storybrooke wasn’t coincidental you know. All those people from what you call fairytales? They are very much real.” he says.

“See the waitress?” Gold says, pointing at Ruby who was leaning on the counter, chatting with a shorter bearded man. A coffeepot was clutched in one hand almost at her hip. She wore a very red skirt and a thin black sweater over it, with enough makeup to scare a hooker. “You might also know her as Little Red Riding Hood.” he explains “The red kind of gives it away, though” he added.

“I. Don’t. Believe. You.” Klaus said, turning back around from an experimental glance at the waitress’s legs.

“I can’t help if the truth seems a bit impossible. Then again, remember you and little Miss Sunshine are impossible as well.” the character demanded.

“We aren’t fairytales.” Klaus spat back. “You know happily ever after and all that shit.” Gold looked somewhat offended at how Klaus referred to a happy ending. Caroline felt a bit hurt as well, but unlike the man sitting across from them, she knew the full extent of why the hybrid was so adverse to that. “We don’t get happy endings. We get death, destruction, and despair. A never ending river of hatred and detest that after a thousand years you are no longer human. The only people with happy endings that we know… are dead.”

Gold was a bit taken back by his words and the way he said them, it was as if that was how he lived his life, albeit slightly less time, he only had five hundred years of darkness. Yet what could a millennium of so much darkness had to do something with  someone’s mind.

“What are you exactly then?” Gold asked carefully, trying to figure it out himself by observing, but Klaus smirked as if he was not planning on giving him an answer.

“What do you know of vampires?” Caroline asked him, Gold managed to tear his eyes away from Klaus to gaze at Caroline who was awaiting an answer.

“I know nothing of such beings as a “vampire”. I however know that both of you are corpses. Pray tell, what are they?” Gold asked, switching from Klaus to Caroline, while Caroline racked her brain for a subtle answer to his question without scaring him into using his so called magic against them, Klaus had a smirk on his face.

“Vampires are supposedly mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person slash being” Klaus explained but leaned forward the table in front of him to give the man sitting opposite him a mischievous glare “That basically means that I can drain every drop of blood from your body and call it breakfast”

“Klaus!” Caroline scolded him, smacking his arm lightly at the obvious threat he has basically laid on the table.

“He was just joking.” Caroline sneered and contained the urge to smack Klaus in the back of his head.

Mr. Gold seemed to be amused at the threat, highly doubting that the vampire would want to take a bite out of him.

“We are vampires, but he was joking about wanting to drain you” she smiled nervously at the man sitting in front of her before sending Klaus a scolding glare. “I don’t feed off of humans and he only does on a special occasion.”

“I’m officially deeming this a special occasion” Klaus smirked.

“Do you have to threaten everyone you meet?” Caroline mumbled.

“This happens often?” Gold asked, with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve only known him for about half a year, but in those months, yes, it does happen more times than I’d like to admit” Caroline replied softly. “Basically every hour. To all my friends” She said under her breath.

“And tell me, are there more of you?” He asked, his eyes widening.

“When you live for a thousand years, you get bored from time to time” Klaus says with a smirk. “But I’m the oldest. The Original.”

“Hybrid, you might be. Vampire, however…” said an accented voice behind them, near the door. Caroline didn’t recognize it, but she still turned at the exact time as Klaus whirled his head around, his eyes wild with incredulity.

The man standing behind them casually leaned on the red vinyl back of the booth, with one white ear bud in his hand, like he had just plucked it out of his ear. The faint sounds of “Highway to Hell” could be heard through it and in the other hand he held a smartphone.

His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as he slid into the booth along side a frozen Klaus, slapping his phone and headphones on the surface.

“Father stabbed Finn first.” Kol flashed his brother a grin and winked at Caroline, before turning back to a intrigued Gold.

“Kol…” Klaus’s breathed out,  voice was ghostly, his face was clear that he was shocked, internally relieved but shocked altogether.

Caroline’s eyes widened at the name to the man sitting next to Klaus, the man who she had covered with the white sheet in Elena’s house not 48 hours ago was sitting with them with a smirk on his face the width of a pigskin football.

They had a slight family resemblance, now that Caroline thought about it. They had the same smirk, the same twinkle in their eyes when they joked. Or threatened, it depended on their mood. While Elijah, and from his descriptions, Finn had been strong and solid, Kol and Klaus were long, lean, and lithe, looking like a pair of sabers in comparison to broadswords.

“Hello brother” his smirk held a mischievous glint in them and Caroline held the urge to shake visibly at his expression. He looked like Klaus when he came to Mystic Falls. Dangerous and Dark. “Now, I will admit that I was surprised by you mourning my death, honestly, I was expecting it from Bekah but she cried for an impressive three hours before cuddling with her boytoy and poor Elijah knows nothing, as always. You’d think the very man who wants his family together would know when one managed to run in with a white oak stake” Klaus rolled his eyes at Kol’s last statement.

“How are you even alive? I covered you up.” Caroline nearly squealed, with wide eyes.

“I remember, thank you for that, it was rather depressing to see my corpse being made ready for burial.” Kol scrunched up his face in disgust before sighing heavily. “Not that I was actually even buried.” He cast a pointed look at Klaus.

“To answer your question, I haven’t the slightest clue really, all I know is that I followed my dear brother here in his car, I got very annoyed when he slowed down to the speed of an old woman” Klaus, again, rolled his eyes at his brother’s words. It seemed to be a habit the moment the two brothers came in contact.

“The minute I entered this town however I felt... different, so I went into town instead of running after my brother while he was turning” he threw a smirk at Caroline who shied away from both Klaus and Kol’s gazes, suddenly feeling shamed by the mention of the naked tryst in the moonlight with Klaus. She had hoped they would take that secret to their grave, but apparently, the second most annoying Original was already looking forward to holding it over her and Klaus’s head for sometime.

“And to my surprise, someone smiled at me, then another politely said goodnight, I quickly came to the conclusion that I was in fact alive in this town and I couldn’t wait to play show and tell with my big brother” the way he said those words made Caroline want to roll her eyes at him, something she was beginning to realize usually happened whenever he opened his mouth and words came out.

“You were here all night and said nothing?” Klaus asked.

“Waited until you two finally did each other a favor and went to sleep, to politely ask Granny and the very lovely Ruby to sleep on their very comfy sofa, was waken by Caroline’s yelling at you this morning and made by departure before any of you could find me and now here I am” he beamed at the last part and spread his arms out, as if to welcome any hugs coming at him.

“Here I am thinking Klaus was full of himself” Caroline mumbled so low that Gold only saw her lips move but Kol and Klaus smirked at her.

“Runs in the family I’m afraid darling” Kol retorted.

“I’m beginning to see that. And don’t call me that.” she sneered at him.

“So is my brother the only one allowed to give you pet names, Niklaus Mikaelson, the original hybrid, one of the first of our kind, the big bad wolf” Caroline snickered at his last words but Klaus chose to ignore it.

“Kol, you want to explain to me how you allowed a bunch of teenagers to kill you with your own weapon?” Klaus asked, slight humor in his voice “And why you came to the conclusion that I had something to do with it?” he added in which Kol’s smirked dimmed at that.

“I apologize brother, I should have known that you’d rather lick the Salvatore’s boots before teaming up with Team Doppelganger to rid the world of me” Klaus smirked at that “I don’t blame you blondie for my death either, after hearing what Elena had done, you seemed rather disappointed in your friend” Kol gave her an appreciative smirk, one he oh so rarely graces to someone.

“I don’t care what you did, she killed you for her own selfish reasons and that doesn’t make her any better than any of you” she took quick glances at both Kol and Klaus.

“Excuse me…” said Gold interrupting them. “You’re dead?”

“Last time I checked, yes. But the minute I entered this quaint little town, people suddenly could see me and as much as I am glad that I can talk to everyone instead of whisper death threats in the doppelganger’s ears,  I want to know why I’m alive here” he turned to give Gold a look that meant ‘I see you’ and he smirked “I think you, and that cunning little queen, Regina can help me out.”

“Many things I can do with my magic, bringing back the dead is not one of them” Gold stated, in a snarky way.

“Obviously you haven’t met actual witches before” Kol said in amusement.

“I am not a witch, neither am I a warlock, let’s just say I stumbled upon my magic”  He said, his body language changing, with his posture stiffening and hands going down onto the table.

“I’m well acquainted with your story, Rumpelstiltskin. Unlike my brother and his blonde companion, I accept your tale. And know you have a habit to make deals… For the impossible.” Gold looked even more uncomfortable at that, unused to being caught in his own trap.

“And for a deal, vampire, it needs to be a two sided agreement. And you have nothing I want.” Gold parried coldly. It was unlike him to refuse a deal, but something unsettled him about the pair of brothers. Not the blonde, of course, but the pair reminded him of a particular person who had been dogging him for the past three hundred years. Vengeful, full of darkness, but with just “enough” honor to be charming.

Gold hated the lot of them.

“Firstly, I have a name, secondly, you won’t matter anyways because by the next hour, this town is going to turn into a forest like it was all those years ago and everyone in said town is going to die” Kol commented with a smirk and Klaus and Caroline are completely confused but not Gold, no he’s surprised that this man knows that the town his doomed.

“How do you know this?” He breathed out.

“Overheard a very lovely woman claiming holding off some sort of device from taking the town” Kol rubbed his chin as if in thought but the smirk on his face told us that he was joking.

“Kol, they must have been talking about something else” Klaus groaned in frustration but he stopped when suddenly the ground started shaking, Caroline gripped the table in front of her to steady herself as they wait for the quake to end where they all looked at Gold for an explanation.

“Yes the town is being destroyed” Gold confessed.

“Why are you fixing it with your purple magic?” Caroline asked, and Gold raised an eyebrow at her description of his magic with an amusing smirk on his face.

“All magic comes with a price deary, and I am paying mine for bringing our magic to this world” he said, almost sadly, Caroline couldn’t help but think that there’s a backstory for his reasons for wanting himself to die.

Just then, everyone barged into the diner like an angry mob, all breathing heavily and in panic mode. A blonde woman was trying to shout over the crowd, her eyes filled with tears, but there was no avail.

Klaus and Kol realized that Gold was no longer with them, he had joined the mob, a oddly concerned expression on his face.

“We have the beans.” A man said, managing to shout over the crowd. The vampire’s senses instantly sharpened at the scent of free blood coming from an injury on his arm. A dark haired woman with a pixie cut ran up to him, at her heels a tall blonde who resembled Caroline quite a bit.

Next to the injured man stood one of the oddest dressed person Klaus had encountered yet on his travels. He wore a long black leather jacket, a pair of old fashioned leather breeches, which Klaus did even try to deny he had worn for a couple of decades, a vest, and oddest enough a hook. An honest to god, silver sharp enough to gut a fish hook. And guyliner. Caroline wanted to giggle to herself, seeing the emo guy, but for some reason, felt just as much fear towards him as she did towards Klaus, and towards the man who claimed to call himself Rumpelstiltskin.

Now that she thought about it… What type of man walked around with a hook, if his first name wasn’t Captain?   

“You did it?” asked the blonde woman, as the dark haired hugged the man. She looked as if she wanted to join in, but resisted, instead wrapping her arms around a small boy who had sidled up next to her.

“Yeah.” he answered. The blonde’s eyes trailed down the man’s arm and they grew wide with concern, seeing the gash.

“You okay?” she asked, and the woman detangled herself from him and started to critically look at the tear in the fabric of his shirt and to a lesser extent his injury.

“Oh, it's... grazed. It's fine.” he said, trying to distract the woman, probably his wife as indicated by the matching rings on their left hands.

“Okay.” the blonde said, still not giving up, though she turned the boy. “Let's get going. Henry?” He was clearly her son. Same shade of green eyes, identical noses, and just by the way she held him close. For a second, Caroline felt that wistful feeling again. The one that would occasionally sneak up on her about once a week ever since she had turned.

She’d never have that. The family resemblance, the family in general.

“Wh—where's my mom?” Henry asked, looking around through the crowd.

“Regina can hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape, but…” the other mother bent down to look him in the eye, her mossy green orbs brimming with regret.

“But what?” Henry said, accusatory.

“She won't survive.” the blonde said slowly.

“No. No.” Henry cried, pushing away the gentle arm his mother had laid on his shoulder.

“Henry, I'm sorry. I promised her I'd get you to safety.” The woman protested.

“But we can't do this! She's family! We don't leave family behind!” He shouted, near tears. No matter what those circumstances were, Caroline pitied the boy. She knew what it was like to go through life with only one parent. And from her friends’ experience, how to go with none at all.

“This is what she wants.” the mother begged, taking her son’s hands in hers once again. The couple looked on at her sympathetically, oddly enough with tears in their eyes at the mention of the words family. “We have a way out. We have to take it.”

“We saved her from [being killed by the](http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Broken) [Wraith](http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Wraith). How is this any different?” he said insistently. Klaus smirked, though this was a sober moment he was intruding on. He had been called a wraith several times in his life. Clearly, the meanings were different to these people, if there were the fairy tales Gold had ridiculously told them about.  

“The Wraith!” the woman with the pixie cut exclaimed.

“What?” the blonde said, wrinkling her nose in confusion. Another odd similarity between the woman and Caroline, Klaus thought to himself.

“We sent it through a [portal](http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Portals). Why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?” the dark haired woman reasoned, her heart shaped face suddenly alight with hope.

“Because we don't know if it's gonna work.” the blonde said sullenly, though she had a bit of hope in her eye as well.

“It could.” the other woman pressed.

“Yeah.” her husband chimed in.

“It's too risky. No one will go along with it.” the blonde said, almost at a whisper, whipping her head around to look at the mass of people.

“Yes, we will. Because it's the right thing to do. Look, [Snow White](http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Snow_White) and the [Prince](http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Prince_Charming) have always led us before, and we've always won. So, who's willing to let them lead us again?” said a bespeckled, ginger man. All around people nod and say yes.

So that’s who the couple supposedly were, Klaus thought, bemused. They did bear a bit of a resemblance to what happened in the fairy tale, but he still was not buying it.

Could an entire town go insane? He kept doubting the Gold was lying more and more.

Caroline was trying to contain a squeal. Prince Charming and Snow White?!? Ok, she was now officially believing Gold, she meant Rumplestiltskin. There was no way a whole town would lie!

“Thank you, Archie.” said Snow, who then turned to the blonde. “This is what we should do.”

“And will do.” said the prince firmly.

“Look, I know we haven't had a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one. Let us do the right thing. It's not too late.” said Snow, holding the blonde’s hands in hers. Klaus’s brow quirked. How could these two women, looking roughly the exact same age, be mother and daughter? Did they have immortality for princes and princesses too, not just bastard creatures who were scum?

The blonde pulled her son into an embrace. He stayed mute, though her eyes still stay locked with her mother’s.

“I just don't want him to be alone. I don't want him to grow up the way I did.” she said. A loud boom was heard in the distance and the ground begins to shake, much larger than the one earlier. Caroline, unintentionally grabbed onto Klaus’s arm.  “This plan could fail. If we use that bean now, we can get away for sure. We will survive.

“But it's wrong. Emma, I killed her mother.” says Snow. Caroline’s taken aback. Snow White, a murderer?

“You did that to [Cora](http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Cora) because you had to.” Emma answered, quick to defend her mother, even from herself.

“I did it because it was easy. It was a mistake. There were other paths, harder paths, and I wish I had taken them. So please, Emma, honey, let's take the hard path. Because if we don't we will be building a future on Regina's blood.” Snow says, acting honorable. While Caroline inwardly awwwww’d Klaus rolled his eyes. This was almost just like another one of Elena’s idiotic scenes. Take the hard path? No! Take the one that would let you live.

Emma hesitated.

“Okay.” She finally answered, before her father, the prince tossed her the black bag, no doubt containing what ‘bean’ this was. As she reached to grab it, the man with the hook was quicker, intercepting the bag in his only hand.

“You’re all mad.” He stated, in a surprising Irish accent. “I can live with myself.” Klaus smirked. Finally, someone who was on his page. Yet, why did the villain always have to have an accent? It really did help the whole ‘evil villain’ reputation.

“Give it back.” Emma said indignantly, her eyes an acid green, bright and alert. She looked up at the man desperately. But, behind her need she was thinking something else. Caroline knew the look well. It was wishing. Crazy, insane wishing that this person who you had somehow been able to see past villainous looks could do the right thing. She was begging him. And yet, he was still going to do what she didn’t want him to do.

“If she wants to die for us, I say let her.” he said harshly, his brogue coming out in a tumble.

“We understand each other. Look out for yourself, and you’ll never get hurt, right?” she said, fiercely. Now she was begging. Caroline, for a moment, saw the shadows of her begging Klaus to save Elena. It was almost identical. Emma’s eyes searched the man’s face, waiting for him to crumble, to give in, to do what she wants him to do. Because for the good guys, it was so hard to love the anti-hero. Because that’s what they were. A villain was someone who was bad just to be bad. An anti-hero was a villain who was bad with purpose. But, yet… they could be good.

“Worked quite well for me.” He responded a bit less sure of himself.

“Yeah, until the day that it doesn't.” she insisted. Because she knew it. It had happened to her. And for some reason, she didn’t want him to feel the pain of when it doesn’t work out. “We're gonna do this. It might be stupid, it might be crazy, but we're doing it. So, you can join us and be a part of something, or you can do what you can do best, and be alone.”

Klaus mused at the pair. While his and Caroline’s line was “We’re the same,” these two was “We understand each other.” He wasn’t sure if he like it equally or better than what he had said long ago.

The man looked stunned for a moment, all his walls let down, finally letting his expression show his true feelings. He was surprised, elated, terrified, indecisive. His ocean blue eyes widened, and for a second it looked like the man just needed a hug. And then the walls came back up and with a hint of a smirk, he placed the pouch into Emma’s outstretched hand.

“Quite passionate, Swan.” he said with just a hint of innuendo. The blonde rolled her eyes as everyone began to clear out of the diner. Then in a lower tone he leaned in so that there was barely ten inches between them. “So, why are you really doing this?”

“The kid just lost his father today. I'm not letting him lose a mother too.” Her eyes swam with tears, despite her fierce determination to appear strong.

“His father? Who's Henry's father?” the man asked, confused. Caroline was surprised. She had originally assumed this was the small boy’s dad. Though he looked at the daughter of Snow White like she was the only thing keeping him from drowning.

“Neal.” Emma says.

“Baelfire?” the man answered heading for the door.

“Yeah.” she replied briefly saddened, before she too headed out the door as well.

While everyone else rushed out to save Regina, as well as all of six dwarfs, Leroy stayed behind and looked at Gold with distaste, yet pity and grumbled a little before heading over towards him.

He then noticed the unknown people sitting around him and scowles.

“Who are you people?” he asked, rather rudely Caroline added.

“You could ask nicely” Caroline stated, folding her arms across her chest, as if daring him to challenge her.

“Why should I?” he challenged and Klaus growled at the man’s rudeness.

“You should ask the lady nicely” Klaus said, hoping the message came across as well as the silent threat within his words.

“Oh yeah?” Leroy asks in sarcasm but Gold held his cane up to silence Leroy before things went too far.

“Leroy, did you want something?” Gold asked him, turning to face the man who was glaring at Klaus.

Leroy slowly turned his attention to Gold and his features softened as he held out the little wrapped cloth in his hand.

Gold knew what that cloth had in it, it was the cup, the chipped teacup that Belle smashed on the ground after she had lost her memory, he remembered that memory as if it had happened yesterday.

“Why do you have that?” Gold asked, frightfully slowly.

“I went into your shop looking for Sneezy’s drinking stein so we can bring back his memories” Leroy said boldly.

The man had guts Klaus mused.

This peaked Gold’s interest “Oh, can you?” he asked, hypothetically.

“Mother Superior finally figured it out, she’s been working on it for a while now, he needed to drink this” he put his hand up, showing everyone the vial of glowing blue liquid in his hand “and drink it out of something important to him, hence his old stein” Leroy explained before placing the vial on the table in front of Gold, who took a glance at the vial on the table and looked up at Leroy with a questioning look.

“I asked her to make a second dose, that is for you”

“Well what am I suppose to do with that?” Gold asked, with an uninterested look in his eyes.

“Belle once helped remind me who I was, I’ve never forgotten since. I want to return the favor and not let her die as Lacey” Leroy turned and left immediately and Gold sighed heavily before eyeing the liquid in the vial in front of him.

He looked up to see all of them, both blondes and the man next to him were staring at him as if waiting for some sort of explanation.

“You’ll have to excuse Leroy, he’s one of the mean dwarfs around here” Gold smirked.

“The Seven Dwarfs?” Kol asked amused.

“The very ones” Gold smiled mockingly.

Just then, the doors to the diner opened and in walked Lacey in guess what, a black provocative dress with lace trims and a sexy smile but Gold doesn’t notice her yet.

Instead, Gold unwrapped the cloth that held the broken pieces of the cup to reveal it and everyone around him was confused.

He waved his hand and a puff of mystic purple smoke appeared like a tornado around the broken cup and once it disappeared, the cup was now reassembled, perfectly. Caroline gasped, she has seen Bonnie do magic, but nothing like that, not the kind of magic she read in story books, but there it was in front of her, she was in awe.

“It’s that cup again” said a voice behind them, Klaus and Kol had seen her coming but not Gold and Caroline, so they both turned to see Belle standing behind Gold staring at the cup with distaste.

“It’s something from my past, let’s not fight, I’m sure you heard what’s happening” Gold tried to be nice to her snarky attitude.

“Yea, I was just coming by to see you so we can have a drink to the end of Storybrooke” she smiled.

“Well then why don’t you go get a glass from Ruby and we’ll have that drink then?” he asked with a raised eyebrow and she smiled before excusing herself and heading towards Ruby’s direction.

Gold sighed heavily, knowing what he must do, before picking up the vial and dropping some of the contents into the teacup.

“What are you doing?” Caroline asked.

“She does not remember who she is, she needs to drink this to remember” Gold said, almost as if he was in a trance.

“The things we do for love…” Kol trailed off with a smirk and Caroline rolled her eyes yet again at him.

“Has he always been this annoying?” Gold asked, not looking at them.

“He was three days old when he made his first smirk” Klaus smirked, ah the irony.

Kol looked as if he was insulted but no one paid him no mind when Lacey came back with her glass, ready to drink to the end of the world, or so they thought.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------B+S--------------------------------------------------------------------------Henry ran down in the mind, the faint rumbling in the distance. The boy didn’t care though, instead making a beeline for the bright light up ahead.

“What are you doing here?” asked Regina, alarmed as she looked at her son. Her hands were spread around a pulsating ball of swirling light.

“You were willing to die to save us. That makes you a hero. Now we're gonna be heroes.” The boy said his eyes full of hope. Behind him the rest of the Charming Family entered into the mine shaft.

“They're gonna open up a portal, throw this thing into a void.” David said, gesturing to his daughter who held the black pouch containing the bean.

“No. You don't know that it'll work.” the Queen protested, the veins in her arms poking out as she strained to contain the pure energy.

“We have to try.” Mary Margaret said, with heroic resolve on her face. Just like the rest of her family

“Everybody, step aside. Emma?” said the Prince, leaving little room for Regina to protest. Emma stepped forward, further into the shaft. She took out the pouch and opened the drawstrings. Her brow crinkled in confusion as all she saw was the black of the inside of the pouch.

“It’s empty.” She said hollowly, tossing the bag to the dirty ground before snarling, “Hook.”

Emma wanted to cry.

I thought I could trust him, she whispered inwardly. And now he was probably gone. Now he had probably left her.

Just like everyone else in her life did.

Never the less, the savior buried her broken heart as she and her family tried to salvage their plan.

\-------------------------------------------------------------B+S----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline watched as the woman placed the rim of the teacup gently against her lips before chugging its contents in one gulp, her face scrunched in disgust but that’s not what caught Caroline’s attention and it most certainly was not the reason her eyes grew double its size, she saw a tiny aura of light surround the girl before she looked up, straight at Gold and the bitchy look she once wore disappeared to reveal a sad smile on her face as she noticed that Gold had lost his son. That was what she heard from Leroy when she left his shop earlier. She didn't care at first but now she knows that Gold must be crushed at the news, after looking for his son for so long, only to lose him so soon.

Belle threw herself at Gold into a tight hug, sobbing uncontrollably, Gold clutched onto her tightly, placing her on his lap, snuggling into her as he was immediately surrounded by the warmth and the comfort of her hugs.

‘I’m sorry for waking you when we’re about to die” Gold mumbled, taking in her scent.

“I’m glad you did” she sniffled “You needed me” she smiled, despite the sadness she felt for Gold and his son.

“This is so touching, really but the story is about to turn into a pumpkin and although the mighty Niklaus is immortal, the lovely Caroline isn’t so I’d get out of town if I were you darling” Kol smirked, causing Caroline to come back to her reality that the town was turning into a forest filled with a lot of wood that can kill her.

“Oh my god, I have to go!” she gasped and stood from the table immediately and flashed out of the building immediately, Belle and Gold were completely shocked at how fast she had moved while Klaus flashed out behind her.

“So, why don’t you tell me more about this town and the people in it?” Kol smirked at them both, as they take the place Caroline and Klaus once occupied as they take a glance at each other before starring at a grinning Original.

\-------------------------------------------------------------B+S----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline has no idea where she was going, she tried to flash out of town, but she couldn’t get past the white line, she tried with all her might but it looked as if she was trapped in the town now. She flashed away and ran all over town in an attempt to find somewhere else get out of the doomed town. She saw all the vines growing at a fast rate, devouring everything within its path and she was fearful for her life.

Klaus had no idea where she was, he had flashed to the exit to storybrooke only to bounce back, realising that their was an invisible barrier there and again, he was trapped in the town.

Somehow she ended up at a pier, she saw the sea in front of her, but what caught her attention was the little boy she had seen in the Diner with his mother. There were two people with him, a dark skinned woman and a man, she saw that they were not handling him roughly and he didn't seem to be struggling out of their grasp but she couldn’t help but listen to what they were talking about.

“Relax, kid. We're not gonna hurt you.” said the woman, walking quickly.

“Just everyone I love. You tried to blow up Storybrooke!” the boy protested, trying to break away from her grip. She held on and the boy gave her a look of fear and confusion.

“True, but that was never the point.” responded the woman.

“It wasn't?” Henry questioned, his brows scrunched together in confusion.

“We came here to destroy magic, Henry, but then we found something more important, something that changed everything—you.” the man said, his eyes taking on a gleam as he looked at Henry. The boy nearly backed up from him, his arms going protectively up.

Caroline heard the faint sound of people approaching and she snapped out of the little boy’s conversation with the man and woman to snap her head up at the Blonde woman she had seen earlier, Regina and the Snow White and her Prince Charming all yelling after Henry.

She watched as they threw something in the water and a giant colorful hole appeared in the water.

She snapped her head at the women trying to get to Henry and she wants to help. She flashed to them, in a desperate attempt to get to the boy but even she was too late, they had already jumped by the time she had decided to help. She watched as the hole shrank into oblivion and the group managed to reach to her to realize that she was late to save the boy and Caroline felt like she failed them, especially the blonde who was the mother to the boy, she had just failed to save her son.

“No! No! No! We have to follow them! There has to be a way!” the woman screamed running down the dock, tears streaming down her face. Caroline ran over to the group, her hand clutched together.

“Not only do we not know where they went, but Hook stole the last bean!” Regina said furiously, tears misting over in her eyes.

“I don't care!” Emma shrieked, gazing out at the water. Caroline came up to her, saying “I’m sorry”, over and over again.

Emma sighed heavily, taking in her hysteria for a brief instant, and managed a small sad smile to the girl who tried to save her son, even with that impossible speed, the girl still failed, but Emma didn’t blame her, she tried to save her son. She had tried.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault” Caroline nodded but not completely believing her words, a guilty shine in her eyes..

“Without it, there's no way to follow.” Regina lamented, looking at the spot in the water where her adopted son had disappeared.

“There has to be. We can't just let them,” Emma tried to control another sob. The other blonde, put her hand on her back and moved it in circles soothingly, while the short-haired Princess wrapped her arms around her daught. “Take Henry!” she finished with a body shaking sob.

During Emma’s breakdown, and Regina’s fury, Gold caned down the rickety wood with Belle at his side, and the pair of immortal brothers followed.  

“I’ve been looking everywhere…” Klaus started but the look of guilt on her face prevented him for moving further with his speech, she looked as if she had done something wrong, she looked torn and she was comforting the other blonde woman as she was on the verge of breaking down, he wanted nothing more than to comfort Caroline, he didn't care what she had done.

He took her broken state, her guilt as a sign she needed someone, something, and boldly walked over to her and grasped her hand in his. It was a light touch, and though she didn’t acknowledge it, she didn’t deny it either.

“They've taken Henry?” Gold gasped, murder dancing in his reptilian eyes.

“Yeah. You're the Dark One. Do something.” said the Prince, his body language mirroring that of holding a sword, though he had a lack of one.

“I tried to get to him but I was too late” Caroline murmured, trying desperately to pull it together herself, she shouldn't feel this bad for not being able to get to the little boy on time, but seeing Emma so crushed by it, she couldn’t help but empathize with her.

“Gold, help us.” Emma said, her voice sharp and authoritative.

“There's no way. I spent a lifetime trying to cross worlds to find my son. There's no way in this world without a portal.” Gold stated his voice cold.

“So that's it? He's gone forever? I refuse to believe that.” Regina yelled, outraged.

“What the fuck is that?” Kol asked pointed at something in the distance. Emma turned her head to see a araciac ship gliding across the water towards the dock.

“Hook” She whispered. He had come back. The bastard, the idiot, had actually made the right choice.

\----------------------------------------------------------------B+S-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Jolly Roger was a magnificent vessel, Klaus concluded as the ship swiftly moved up against the dock. Well as swift as a cumbersome ship, such as this one, could move. He had steadily become less and less sceptical of Mr. Gold’s strange notions about the sleepy Maine town, but the ship.

The ship was the final straw of doubt, gone in the wind.

“Hook.” Emma, the blonde woman, snarled stomping down to the gangplank as it hit the wooden dock with a thud. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The man from the diner, the one with the hook, swaggered down the gangplank, his boots making authoritative thumping sounds. A sword hung from his waist.

“Helping.” the Captain replied.

In Hook’s mind, all he had was regret. When he had sailed out into the open sea and had nearly thrown that damned bean in he had been fully ready to let that wretched town burn.

And yet, Swan, no, Emma’s words came back to him. All of them.

“Be a part of something.”

“We’re the same.”

God, he couldn’t turn his back on her, wait no, correction, his duty. To Milah. To her boy. For his boy.

And that’s when Killian Jones had decided that he was compelled to go back. Being one and the same, he knew exactly how it felt to be left behind.

“Well you’re too late.” Regina snapped with a pointed glare at the curious-looking blonde who clutched at a man’s hand.

Hook quirked one of his eyebrow, not making eyes contact with the hateful Queen instead only looking at Swan.

“I thought you didn’t care about anyone but yourself.” Emma said, slightly less sure of herself, though her tone didn’t lack any venom.

There were those infamous walls Hook knew and loved. Fantastic.

He reached to the coin pouch around his waist and held it out to the blonde princess. Her mesmerizing mossy green eyes widened for a second and looked up at him, searching his face for any hint of trickery. Still Killian pressed on with his explanation, though it was never asked.

“Maybe I just needed reminding I could.”

For an instant, Emma wanted to kiss him. Full mouth on mouth, I-don’t-care-who-the-fuck-sees-me make out with him.

He came back.

Captain fucking Hook, had done the right thing.

The depths of the ocean met the green of forest. Both were wary , scared, yet behind both of the two forces lay a desire for trust, for love, for those damn walls to go down.

“Enough waiting, let’s go.” snapped Regina, breaking up the heated stare between the Princess and the Pirate. She appeared almost annoyed as she looked at the pair.

“Go? Where? I thought we were saving the town.” Hook asked. When he was confused, as was often the case in the Land without Magic, he looked cute, Emma thought.

Shit.

No, there was no room in her head for those thoughts.

“We already did.” David said snarkily, giving the pirate his best “protective father” look. Clearly, Prince Charming was not so charming to pirates who looked at his daughter.

“We need to get Henry. Greg and Tamara took him through a portal.” Emma said, casting a sidelong glance at Hook.

“Well, I offer my ship and my services to help follow them.” he said quickly, with a mocking little bow towards Emma. She scowled at him and looked into the bag. She gave him a slight nod when she confirmed that yes, the bean was in the bag.

But, the poor princess neglected to notice the bean’s condition.

“Well that's great, Hook, but how do we track them?” Regina responded crassly, sounding as though she’d like nothing better than to hex the pirates head off.

“Leave that to me. I can get us to where we need to go.” Gold stated.

“Well, let's do it.” Snow White had never been one without hope. Not when she had lost her mother, not when she was a bandit, not when she sent her only child to a foreign realm. So certainly, she hadn’t lost it now.

Her daughter kept moving the bean around and around in her hands, trying to figure out when it didn’t feel so dried up and feeble.

 

“Belle, I have to go. You have to stay here.” Rumple told Belle, wrapping his arms around her and staring deeply into her eyes.

“No. Why? I wanna help.” Belle protested, moving out of his grasp with a sort of Lacey fire in her eyes, but it was all ‘Belle’ defiance.

“The town is no longer safe.” Gold told her.

Simultaneously, David and Belle exclaimed “what?”

 

While Killian was being brought up to speed...

Caroline heard the low ringing of her cell phone but ignored it. She knew it was probably one of the people from Mystic Falls.

Klaus heard the phone go off and raised an eyebrow at her ignoring the call, he would have thought she would have answered just to find out if the precious Elena was safe.

The phone stopped ringing but only seconds later it rang again.  Caroline rolled her eyes before she pulled it out of her back-pocket and walked over to the exit.

When Caroline was outside she put the phone to her ear and listened to the two voicemails that Damon of all people left for her.

When Caroline was finished listening to the voicemails she dialed his phone number and he answered on the third ring.

"Where are you blondie?" Damon asked her without saying hello or anything of that sort.

"Somewhere, I think over a rainbow," she answered nonchalantly, but Damon couldn’t see the proud smile she had on her face or  the smirk on both Mikaelson brother’s faces.

"Where are you?" Damon asked but with a tiny bit to venom.

"Around, look I stepped out of town for some business, I’ll be back before you know it" she said again as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh really, and where pray tell are you exactly?" Damon asked curiously.

She smirked “Wouldn’t you like to know” Kol fought the urge to laugh at her witty response.

“Blondie, now is not the time to start using your funny bone” she could practically feel him smirking against the phone.

“Look, I’ll be back as soon as possible so do you have the cure or not?” Caroline asked, she was a little impatient and didn’t want Damon or anyone else to know where she was and who she was with.

“No, Elena’s bitchy half showed up and sacrificed Jeremy to Silas so that she could get the cure, I think she’s long gone by now but Jeremy’s dead” Damon said, a little sadly.

“Oh god, what about the Gilbert Ring?” she asked, she was now feeling sad for Elena and how she must be feeling right now, she felt a little guilty for being here with Klaus while she could be with her friend comforting her.

“It won’t work, he’s a hunter, a supernatural, the ring only works with humans, Elena believes that the ring will work” Damon sighed as if he knew that he was dead.

“It might work Damon” Caroline stated, but Damon sighed in disappointment.

“He’s decaying, Caroline, I can smell him” Damon stated tiredly.

Caroline closed her eyes tightly and sighed heavily. She felt so sorry for elena, not knowing what she must be going through right now waiting for something that might never happen, she felt even more horrible not being there with her.

“Where’s Stefan and Bonnie?” Caroline asked softly, Klaus could hear the emotion in her voice, she probably felt guilty for not being there for her. The very woman that killed his brother and thousands of vampires for the very cure she does not have. He refrained from shaking his head at the thought.

“They’re kind of trapped on the island” Damon replied hesitantly. Caroline inwardly groaned. How in the hell could Damon be this stupid.

But, it was Damon.

“What do you mean they’re trapped, how can Bonnie of all people be trapped on an island?” Caroline all but shrieked, not wanting to bring attention to herself.

Kol and Klaus listen intently to their conversation.

“Silas got into Bonnie’s head, she did a spell, trapping them all there, Silas wanted to trap the one with the cure but Katherine was already gone so Rebekah, Stefan and Bonnie are literally stuck there, Stefan begged me to take Elena and Jeremy home and come get them later so we left” Damon replied, she could tell he was angry and frustrated at the same time.

“She can’t remove the spell?” Caroline asked curiously.

“No, Silas was controlling her mind he made her do the spell however she does not remember the spell and she does not know how to take it down” Damon replied a little sadly.

As the blonde tried to rack her mind for a way to somehow leave to mend her friend’s broken heart, think of a way to save her Best friends and even the Original Bitch and somehow offer somewhat small services to the Storybrooke clan, an idea came to her, it was a long stretch considering that they have two members on their ship that did magic, but Bonnie’s magic had done things that even these people couldn’t do, she wanted to help them and her friends as well.

“Damon, I’ll call you back” and she hung up before he said anything and looks at the two Originals carefully staring at her as if they might figure out her plans if they stare long enough.

“What?” she asked, glancing at Klaus then at Kol.

“What are you planning in that pretty little head of yours?” Kol drawled with a tiny smirk.

“Do you even care that your sister is trapped on that Island too?” Caroline asked and they both shrugged as if it was not on their minds at all.

“Bekah can handle herself” Kol shrugged.

“Punishment for choosing the wrong side” Klaus smirked.

“I can’t believe you, both of you, she wants to be human, you might think it’s stupid but you don’t know how she’s feeling, she just wants to be normal, she loves her brothers too much and look where’s it’s gotten her, she’s had her neck snapped, daggered and disowned and yet you treat her like she’s a heavy load you have to carry with you instead of your sister, I would give up my own immortality to have brothers and sisters and look at how you treat each other, like a burden instead of a blessing, you both should be ashamed of yourselves” she snapped, her voice was heavy with emotion and laced with enough venom for them both to wince at her words as she walked away from them fuming with anger at how they treated their one and only sister.

Klaus and Kol stood speechless, like statues, both with confused looks on their faces and guilt.

Finally, Kol spoke “She’s brave that one”

Klaus smirked “You have no idea” he turned, ready to leave.

“You know she’s right, Bekah has always loved you more than any of us and we were not jealous of it because while we were lost in our own troubles, you always played with her and tolerated her tantrums and she loved you for that, I should not be surprised she mourn my death the way she did, we were never close” Kol suddenly smirks and looks into the direction Caroline had just left in “I can also think of a reason our darling sister has been trying not to be a bitch to the lovely Caroline and that answer somehow has something to do with you and your infatuation with her” Kol turned to stand by Klaus’s side “We may fight like dogs and threaten each other but we all want you happy Nik, Rebekah is hurt but she will always love you and protect you, she will not allow Stefan and the rest of the Scooby Doo gang to kill you and deep down you know this better than anyone” Kol then flashed off in the direction where Caroline disappeared to.

Klaus and Kol had rejoined the group not far behind Caroline, now looking interestedly at Gold. Her bright blue eyes shone with anticipation as she waited for them to finish. But the next couple of words from Rumplestiltskin's mouth only caused alarm.

“We need to leave. Now.” He said, heading towards the ship, cane in hand and a wistful expression on his face as he looked at the brunette woman clutching a piece of paper in her hands.

“Wait!” Caroline shrieked to the people heading towards the ship as she ran up the gangplank and into the ship, Klaus nearly growls before running behind her.

The Captain stood on the deck, with the blonde behind him her brow furrowed as she fumbled in the black felt bag.

Caroline was in front of Gold, not wanting to ask what she was about to ask from the she-devil.

“Can I help you deary?” he asked, rather impatiently.

“I was wondering if you can help me, I have some friends stuck on an island, there’s some kind of magic preventing them from leaving and I want you to help me releasing them” Caroline said in one breath, very hurriedly.

“Can’t help you, I have places to be, people to save…” he trailed off with a small smirk but Regina cut him off.

“The Bean is of no use to us” her voice boomed and Emma looked positively heartbroken. The man behind her, Hook, leaned into her subconsciously, his blue eyes looking with absolute sympathy at her.

Gold turn on his heel swiftly to look at Regina “What do you mean?”

“It’s quail, dried up, it won’t work” Regina further explained herself, opening her hand to show Gold the bean. It was white, though the skin around it had taken on the texture of an old lady’s skin.

“Damn, so how are we get to wherever Henry is now?” the Prince asked, looking at both Regina and Gold for answers. His wife clutched his hand and looked at their daughter, who had again started sniffling.

Klaus smirked and stood behind Caroline, leaning down to her neck, hot breath warming her and she knew all too well who was behind her but she couldn’t help herself.

“You have them right where you want them. Bonnie is a Bennett witch. She serves nature, she is one with it, and that bean, although may have magical properties is still part of nature” he whispered into her ear, shivers crawl up her spine at the sound of his voice, smooth and heavy accented honey and she could feel heat around her waist, as if he was desperate to touch her there, as if his hands where ghosting over her bare skin even though she was sure she was wearing clothing.

Caroline shook her head and took a step away from, glad to exhale that breath she’d been wanted to let out since he invaded her personal space and turned towards Regina and Gold.

“I can get someone to fix it for you.” She said. Both of the magisters eyebrows went up and Caroline continued. “I have a friend, a witch stuck on the island. She does this kind of nature magic, she can fix the bean or whatever it is, all I know is that she can fix it. All I need you to do is to help me, help us get my friends, their sister.” she pointed behind her where Klaus--and by extension Kol--was no doubt standing “I’m sure with your magic you can lift or destroy whatever magic is keeping them there”

Gold and Regina was confused and curious but, this woman gave them hope, hope that her friend can fix the bean and allow them to travel worlds. Hope that they could save Henry.

“You want to make a deal then?” Gold drawls, finally finding his voice.

Suddenly, Kol appears next to her instantly, his hazel eyes alight with his own cleverness.

“I’ll be making the deals here, so, we want your help in rescuing our friends from the island by removing the barrier and allowing them on this magnificent boat belonging to Captain Hook over there and in return because she’ll be so grateful that you helped her that she’ll want to return the favor by fixing your magic beans, deal?” Kol asked, putting his hand out for him to shake.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------B+S---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline, sat next to Klaus, unfortunately, while Kol steered the boat in the direction where the island was located, Klaus was more angry at Kol than she was at this point.

Hook watched the mischievous Original with wary comradery, not trusting the man with his ship, but at the same time, admiring the easy confidence of the vampire as he sailed.

“Do you know where this island of yours is located?” Hook asks, not knowing this land at all well enough. He had sailed around the harbor, and had a compass in his cabin, yet still the 300 year old captain was confused with this world.

“I do” Kol smirked as he headed towards the helm of the ship, reading to steer them into the direction of the island.

“How in the hell did you know where we were going?” Klaus asked his brother, leaning against the wooden rail near the wheel. Caroline stood a little off to the side of the Charming Family, who were desperately trying to calm their daughter’s quickly dying, though still moderately hysterical tears. Regina had come below, the sea victimizing her stomach.

Gold caned himself up the stairs, looking perfectly at ease of the ship where, the last time he had been there, he had murdered his wife and taken the hand  of its Captain as a trophy. Hook bristled as the man walked towards him.

“So, are you done trying to kill me?” He asked conversationally. Klaus’s head sharply turned away from looking out over the rail at Caroline. Now, this sounded familiar.

But, which role were they playing now? Klaus had played both. To Mikael, he was the Pirate. To Tyler, he was the Warlock.

“I believe so.” answered Hook, without the touch of cordiality, but it seemed to lack it’s sort of venom, that came whenever he talked about the Crocodile. Klaus didn’t miss how the pirate briefly looked at the crying blonde before answering.

Maybe every demon had their angel.

Review loves!

  
  



	3. Time

Hello everyone!

Thank you so very much for everyone who has supported this story, we’re super excited to show all of you where it goes!

Since we have tagged this under Captain Swan (and because Kat might have an issue with shipping them a bit too much), this is a very CS heavy chapter. So I’m sorry to all the Rumbelle stans! Next chapter, you can expect some moments for you as well!

You can follow us on tumblr at Hana (kcisroutine), Cindy (klaroline-fantasies), and Kat (supernturals/darlingklaroline).

Thanks again, and we hope you enjoy the chapter!

\- Cindy (klaroline-fantasies), Kat (TheDuchessofFiction), and Hana (klaroline-heaven)

Chapter Three- Time

Within five minutes of meeting the pair of British brothers, Killian decided he had finally met his match. Or rather, what seemed to be a relative counterpart to him in this world.

Of the two, Killian liked the elder, Klaus. At first glance, the younger, Kol, seemed more like the pirate--or rather Hook. Snarky, volatile, a bit too fond of rum, and completely clueless.

But, when in comparison to Killian--who was making his first appearance in a good 300 years--Klaus was frighteningly alike to him.

Hides behind a facade. Check. Like Killian, the man was all smiles, smirks, and suavity until the true feelings came out to play.

Puppy eyes for a blonde who didn't want him. Check. The blonde who had made the deal with Gold, was completely ignoring the man again. For a few seconds before they had come aboard, she had let him touch her, comfort her. And then her walls had gone back up.

Nearly mirroring Swan. Her parents had taken her below deck, still trailed by the blonde who didn’t really have anywhere to go. From the excited gleam in her eyes he had spotted at the diner, she was extremely excited to be in the presence of Snow White.

Penchant for revenge. Check. Though the man had not directly come out right and said it, the look on his face when the fucking crocodile had come to him earlier had said the whole story.

Once he had been in both Killian and the Dark One’s position.

And yet, it was surprisingly easy to talk to the Brits. In the space of five minutes, however, Killian had heard of a good portion of their life story.

They were immortal, Klaus was a bastard, Kol was a dick (according to Kol), Klaus had kept his brother in a sleep for a hundred years, and last but not least, both of them had sailed in their times.

Apparently, Kol had been a pirate, gallivanting the ‘Caribbean’ (wherever that was) as a pirate for a century or two. His brother had teased him mercilessly with his various aliases--and ships. Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl, Blackbeard, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Klaus however, had run a ‘legitimate’ merchant business, called privateering.

“It was like piracy, except legal!” He had stated over a bottle of rum.

“Why in the hell would you do something like that when you can fucking compel yourself anything?” his brother slurred, over the wheel of Killian’s ship. Subtlety, though the pirate didn’t doubt the immortal’s sailing abilities (albeit only when he was sober), Killian took the wheel from his hands and steered his baby to a relatively ‘safe’ position.

“So, how old are you?” Killian asked rather cordially. The brothers acted drunker than they were, their movements carefully choreographed to be too dramatic.

“A thousand… ish.” answered Kol, taking a swig of the half empty bottle of rum and sitting down on the stairs leading up to the upper deck, where Killian steered from.

“You were locked in a box for a fifth of it!” his brother rebutted. Killian headed down the deck and picked up the back breaking anchor. He grunted, his knees slightly buckling against the weight, especially with one hand. He hadn’t had to drop the anchor much since he had lost his crew to the curse, and whenever he did, he was disposed for the rest of the night.

The other man crept up behind him and took the other half of the chain with ease, aiding Killian lowered the metal object into the water with a splash. Killian rolled his shoulders, once it was done.

The anchor, which usually would take a whole team of men to lower, had gone down into the water soothely, causing the old pirate a little pain.

“How old are you?” Klaus asked, leaning against the railing and looking at the burning orange sunset reflecting off of the water.

“I’ve lost track. Neverland is the Land without Time, after all. But around three hundred.” Killian answered.

“So… Neverland exists.” Kol started to laugh at his brothers words, ever the sceptic, as Kol was ever the believer.

“Swan--- Emma” he corrected himself, a softer look in his eyes. “tells me your version of Neverland is very different than mine. Just like the ‘stories’ you read about us… they’re wrong.”

“And how are they wrong? Is Captain Hook the hero and Peter Pan the villain?” Klaus joked, taking the final sip of his bottle of rum and threw the bottle. It landed about a quarter of a mile away from the ship. Killian raised an eyebrow, impressed.

Clearly, whatever the brothers and the blonde were, they weren’t quite human-though they surely weren’t magical.

A creature of some kind, Hook deduced.

“We’re both villains. I just came out to be the eviler one.” Hook said with a haughty smirk.

“A better villain than a ten-year-old. Great accomplishment.” the man said sarcastically. Below, the stairs creaked with the careful steps of a woman, though neither of the men turned around.

“And you’re an authority on villainy?” the pirate asked, chuckling a bit darkly. Klaus smirked at him.

“You tell me, mate.” He said, before letting his eyes turn gold and double fangs popped out.Killian stepped back, but then oddly enough, he smiled.

“What are you?” he asked with a wolfish grin on his face. Killian, instead of feeling fear, was curious of the man--or rather the beast who wore a man’s mask.

Oddly, enough something about the look-the fangs, the eyes, the inhumaneness of it-- seemed to jog Killian’s long memory.,

“For a thousand years, I was something called a vampire. Immortal, drinks blood, undead, does that ring a bell? Now, I’m the hybrid. Best of both worlds, mate. Vampire and werewolf.” Klaus’s yellow eyes fizzled out, and he went back to his charming and polite self except for the shit eating smirk on his face.

“I remember a story once…” Killian said, searching his memories. From the long forgotten dusty corner of his childhood, Hook finally managed to come up with the placement.

He had been small, only three or four still in his mother’s lap when she told him the story. She had always been a storyteller, though she had preferred to sing them. This one, however, was sober enough for Mummy to speak.

“There was kingdom of people like you. Undead, never dying. It wasn’t far from where I lived, or the land where they had lived, in the story.” Klaus looked at him, his interest piqued. Though Kol’s head was still stuck in the rum barrel, Killian had a feeling he was listening as well. “They lived there for an eternity. The fruit of the land was covered in blood.”

At the mention of crimson blood, Killian’s memory jogged itself again. Sitting on his mother’s lap, hearing the story, he remembered her hair, shiny and bright red clutched in his toddler fingers. Her laughter was clear and musical, a sound of a flute playing or a harp being strum.

“What happened to them?” asked Klaus, his tone oddly mournful for an immortal.

“They were cursed. Just like everyone else in that town.” Killian gestured in the general direction of Storybrooke. “Some vanished into thin air. The Royal Family was sent here. Still others were lost.”

Klaus looked for a second as though a fog is around his eyes, tears almost coming to pass. But, Niklaus Mikaelson didn’t cry. Certainly not about people he hadn’t even met.

“But they’re all just stories in the end, right mate?” Killian said, reassuringly, clapping the other man on the back and walking away.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------B + S-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hook!” Emma yelled, stomping out on deck. Her blonde hair was a tangled mess, the once perfect curls ruined by tears. Her makeup hadn’t been salvaged either, butterfly black tracks streaking her countenance. Yet, she was lovely. Gorgeous in her rage.

Caroline followed her. Since they had boarded the ship, she hadn’t known where else to go, instead sticking with the royal family in a spacious cabin below decks. But, finally the prince and princess had fallen asleep on the sole bed in said cabin.

“Yes darling.” a Irish voice from above.The blonde savior whirled around, her eyes full of annoyance and mildly fierce anger. Caroline peered up curiously.

At the top of the mast, just like in every Pirate’s ship was the Crow’s Nest, no doubt where the man had called down from.

“Get the fuck down here.” Emma said in a non-nonsense tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What if I don’t want to?” Hook taunted. “I am the Captain, after all.” Never the less, a rope was cast down and the pirate slid down on it, using only his hook, and landed smoothly on the deck.The silver of the metal glinted deadly in the moonlight.

“And you offered your ‘ship and services’” Emma said, complete with air quotes.

From behind the women, another man jumped off of the Crow’s Nest, without the rope, though he landed on his feet, like a cat.

“If you wanted my services, you could just ask, love.” Hook taunted walking over to Emma, so that he was uncomfortably close to her. She took a step back, a wary look still on her face.

“Shut up Hook. I was asking where we were going to sleep.” Emma said, giving him a shove when he just moved closer to her. Behind Caroline, Klaus creeped up, somehow her vampire hearing not picking up on his steps. His hands ghosted over her flesh and she didn’t even turn around.

“Klaus.” She hissed warningly, nodding towards the others. “Pay Attention.”

“My bed is open.” Hook teased, his eyes flicking to the ornate door under the helm.

“So you’re staying up all night? I doubt you know where we’re going.” Emma replied, her chin lifted and a taunting smirk on her face.

“I was planning on joining you.” He replied, a smirk on his face. Caroline couldn’t help but notice the similarities of this exchange and her’s and Klaus’s last night. Emma gave him a look, like she waa about to snatch his hook and gut him.

Hook grumbled as he led them down the stairs. A row of doors lined the halls, lit with flickering oil lamps. Klaus dragged his brother along, who was a bit drunk. ‘A bit.’ Kol stumbled down the hall, running into several of the walls, and his words slurring.

“It seems as though your parents have commandeered the First Mate’s Cabin.” Hook commented. He checked two more of the windows, before opening two doors, across from each other.

“I hope the quarters fit the Princess’s request.” He said with an extravagant bow. Emma rolled her eyes and pushed past his arm.

There were two bunks, on either side of the cabin. Oil lamps lit the room and singular porthole let the moonlight into the room.

“I’m not a princess.” She snapped at him, and motioned to Caroline. Only then did Caroline realize that she was getting some help. If she shared with the princess, as there were only two rooms available, she wouldn’t have to spend another night with Klaus.

Klaus was smirking at the thought of Caroline sharing the bed for another night. Then again, he didn’t think he could possibly contain himself for another night.

However, as soon as the blonde walked into the other room, with the Princess, and slammed the door, his smirk was completely wiped off his face.

He sighed, knowing that she would rather have ‘Disney Princess Night’ than spend another night teasing him. Alas, he would be spending the night watching his somewhat intoxicated brother. Klaus pushed Kol into the other cabin, taking the glass liquor bottle his hands. The drunk didn't notice the trick, instead staying on the ground muttering in another language. An ancient variant of Chinese, Klaus identified with a trademark smirk. He then raised the bottle to the pirate who was still looking at the door, his face unguarded and momentarily stunned.

Ah, twisted love.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------B + S--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thanks for saving me back there.” Caroline said breathily, trying to make conversation as she sat down on the opposite bed.

Basically Caroline’s personality summed into one action. Talking, putting on the best face, to avoid the much deeper, much more emotional situation at hand.

“It’s just… there’s no way in hell I’m spending another night in the same bed with someone’s who’s trying to get into my pants for for-ev-er.” Caroline stripped off her jacket and hung it up on one of the bedposts, before flopping down on her stomach with her head perched in her hands and legs bending and swinging, her feet hitting her butt every so often.

“Why haven’t you let him?” asked Emma with a uncharacteristically tone of girliness in her voice. Seriously, this girl was like Ruby 2.0. Except blonde. And not willing to sleep with the entire male population of a town. Maybe.

“Why aren’t you sharing the Captain’s bed?” Caroline quirked a brow, a smirk coming to her lips. The older woman gave her a look before taking off her own jacket.

“It’s complicated.” She answered, throwing the jacket on the floor. She frowned at her attire. There was no way in hell was she going to sleep in jeans. It was too damn uncomfortable.

Caroline waited expectantly. The princess’s--as much as she tried to deny it--girl-talk would definitely be more interesting than the typical Elena drama.

The older woman sighed and looked at Caroline. She looked so sad, like she had never truly seen happiness. It was desolation, loneliness, and suspicious. The princess wasn’t some doll from the fairy tales, nor had she received her happily ever after.

Caroline internally sighed. Did the fairy tale characters even get a happy ending? Or was it like Klaus said. It’s just a story.

“Thank you for trying to save my son.” She started quietly, looking at her folded hands in her lap. “He wasn’t really mine until less than a year ago. I gave him up.”

So that’s why the boy had called both Regina and Emma ‘mother’. Regina had adopted him. And Emma had fought to get him back.

“Why?” Caroline asked before she could stop herself. Emma didn't look upset. Rather, she wiped her cheeks as though trying to erase a memory.

“I was eighteen, just out of foster care. My parents hadn’t wanted to give me up, but they had no other choice, though I didn’t know it at the time. I was angry. I became a thief… and met Neal, his father… He… He left me with his crimes. Disappeared. I had Henry in jail.” Emma didn’t know why, but she felt comfortable telling this stranger that. This girl, she looked like a broken china doll. Something had happened or whatever she was had made her this way.

“I’m sorry.” Caroline replied. It wasn’t one of her hollow “I’m sorry”s that she said at the Town Council Funerals. Because death didn’t hurt nearly as much as abandonment. As loneliness..

“And then when he found me… It was like everything good finally came my way. I found my parents. I found out who I was. I… belonged somewhere. I fought my way through evil queens and their twisted mothers, magical dealmaker, giants, and pirates to keep him. Yet, I still let him get away from me. Now, he’s in a whole different realm. Scared. I failed him.”

Emma was crying again, though she was the kind of person who looked sort of pretty when she cried. Like shattered glass. The green eyes were a watery lime, and her white skin--inherited from her mother, Snow White-- was almost transparent. The only spot of real spot of color on her drawn and pallid complexion was the surprising deep raspberry of her lips.

Wordlessly, Caroline got up and crossed the narrow patch of floor separating the two beds. She wrapped her arms around the older woman, a somewhat reversed role yet Caroline didn’t care. She had a certain hunch that the princess hadn’t gotten many hugs in her lifetime. Especially when she needed one.

A concept not unfamiliar to the vampire.

Growing up with a police officer as a mother, who worked long hours, and an absent father, Caroline had grown up fast. And then let all those negative emotions ferment. Not ever being good enough being the main one.

It had carried on into her vampire state.

“So what’s the deal with the pirate?” Caroline asked, surprisingly, after she removed Emma from her comforting clutches. She stayed on Emma’s bunk, in the same position she had been in on her bed, dubbed the sleepover posse by Bonnie over the years.

“Nothing. He wants to sleep with me. He’s not getting it.” Emma said, surprisingly harsh. Caroline however picked up on the slight increase in Emma’s heart rate, at the mention of ‘the pirate.’

“I think he wants more than that.” Caroline said. “He doesn’t look at you like he just wants to fuck you.” Emma gave her an incredulous look.

“He left you at the diner right? Yet, he came back. Come on, how many guys would do that? And what’s his problem with Gold anyways?”

“That’s part of the fucking problem.” Emma said, running her hands through the tangled mass of blonde curls, identical to Caroline’s. “Hook’s three hundred years old. So is Gold. And once upon a time, Hook ran away with Gold’s wife. Now, she wanted to go, but Gold neglected to remember that when he ripped her heart out and crushed it. In front of Killian. On this ship.” Emma jabbed her finger upwardindicating the deep as Caroline’s mouthdropped in horror.

Yet, she couldn’t help but notice the shift between the moniker “Hook” to a real name… Killian.

“So he’s been hell driven to kill Gold ever since. At any cost.” Emma’s eyes weren’t angry. They weren’t disgusted. They were sad, pitying. Most of all, understanding.

Whether she was fighting it or not, Emma Swan had a connection with Killian… whatever his last name was.

“You like him.” Caroline stated. It wasn’t a question, though Emma moved to protest almost instantly. It was it a sudden Great Wall went up around that particular emotion. And Caroline could see why. Abandoned by someone you love… It created paranoia, fear.

“I don’t. No. I don’t. No, no no.” She said, grasping for words.

“I won’t tell your parents if that’s what you’re worried about.” Caroline said with a giggle. “The Princess and the Pirate.”

Emma rolled her eyes. So this must be what having a younger sister felt like. A nice one that is. She reached over and grabbed the black jacket, knowing good and well this was going to end up in a long fairy tale interrogation

“OMG!” Caroline squealed coming to a realization, her blue eyes going even wider. “It’s just like in Pirates of the Caribbean!”

Emma scrunched her eyebrows together. It was a little strange, how alike… they were.

“If I recall those movies, Elizabeth Swan ends up with Will Turner. Not Captain Jack Sparrow.” Emma said with a slight smirk, one hand on the door knob.

“Whoever said the stories are always right?” said the teenager. At that moment, Emma was struck by how young the girl was, yet how oddly poignant she could be.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------B + S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night wind blew straight through Emma’s black coat, even though she pulled it harder around her. She didn’t mind though. It cleared her head.

And what a mess it was.

Leaning against the railing, she looked up at the stars, and imagined Henry doing the same, somewhere else.

Emma Swan wasn’t the praying type. No, she was the “do-it-yourself-because-God-doesn’t-give-a-fuck.” Yet, she prayed to the stars to watch over her boy, to keep him safe.

Tears wetted her cheeks again as she thought about her son. He had such light about him. Such never ending hope. And faith. In her.

The first person who believed in her. Who trusted her. Who loved her.

Over ten years ago, when that baby had been snatched from her hands, Emma had told herself to not have any attachments. It was just a baby.

But who would have known “just a baby” could say her from the brink of hopelessness. Yet, here she was again.

A couple of her tears managed to hit the ocean, their salt mixing with that of the sea. She sniffled, the sobbing had been long over for several hours.

“I thought Princesses never cried.” Hook said, leaning against the railing next to her. Like, literally, probably three inches away from her. Emma jumped and immediately turned her face on the other direction, and cast it downwards to continue her contemplation of the sea.

“Go away.” She managed to muster, sniffing up snot from the tears.

“What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn’t offer the lady something to dry her eyes?” Emma turned around, to see his hand, not the hook, offering her a piece of linen. She took it warily in her hand and brought it to her nose and blew, then wiped her eyes.

“You’re not a gentleman. You’re a pirate.” She insisted, turning the piece of cloth over in her hands.

“Why can’t I be both?” Emma wasn’t paying attention to him, instead letting it slide in favor of examining the embroidery on the piece of fabric.

KDJ. Initials.

“What’s your middle name?” She asked. Hook’s eyes went wide, not believing his luck. Personal questions were definitely an improvement.

“Dylan.” He answered, his Irish accent thicker than ever. For some reason, it sounded nice to Emma. Comforting. Safe. “Yours?”

“I don’t have one.” She answered, slowly letting go of the railing and walking over the stairs to sit down. He followed her, surprisingly, without thought.

“I’d think the Prince and Princess would have wanted their daughter to have a full name. They sent you  here with the name Emma, yes?” He asked, sitting down next to her. Her gaze was directed at the stars, somehow much more multuous here than on land, twinkling ever so slightly. Ever so often, her eyes would flick to Hook, whose eyes only found her.

The sapphire irises were compelling, sure. Yet, rarely did they show his true emotion. Tonight, they were caring, with a sparkle of mischief that never seemed to leave Killian Jones’s eyes.

Hook’s on the other hand…

“Which one’s the Neverland star?” She asked him, already knowing the answer. In various foster homes, she must have read it a dozen times. Emma wanted to know if it was real, if he knew it.

“See the North Star?” He said, pointing up at the brightest one in the sky. Wearing a waxing smile, he directed his finger to the right. “Second one to the right and straight on til’ morning.”

Emma laughed, though it came out hoarse and a bit forced, sounding more like a cough. Hook looked at her, his eyebrows down in a worried ‘V’.

“Sorry, it’s just… that’s a line out of ‘Peter Pan.’ The book… and the movie.” Emma cracked a smile at his confused frown.

“What did that bastard do to get a novel named after him? And what in the hell is a movie?” He asked, turning his piercing gaze back to her.

“A bunch of moving pictures. With volume. I’ll show you it after we find Henry.”

“Are you asking me on a date Princess Swan?” He teased with a slow wink.

“Shut up.” She said, pushing him slightly. He tipped over and used the hook to right himself. A slight wind rustled his raven hair so it stuck up in a hundred different directions as he looked into the fern green eyes and her blonde curls blew against her cheeks and got stuck against the tear tracks. Yet she didn’t notice staring at the teal orbs with equal fervor.

The connection made Emma’s body notice the cold, and either that or his piercing gaze made her shiver. He didn't speak as he shrugged off his heavy leather coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. Emma gave him a stunned look. Captain Hook wasn’t kind. However, Killian Jones was.

As he adjusted the coat, she oddly reminded of how he had cared for her on the beanstalk. That had been out of necessity. However, now…

“Aren’t you cold?” he looked down at his attire, a simple black button down shirt and his leather pants. He shook his head.

“You need it more.” He stated.

“I’m already wearing a coat.” Emma protested, shaking off one shoulder of the thick coat. However, Hook’s only hand shot out and gently wrapped it back around the shoulder. Her eyes widened at his touch, continuing to grow the longer he kept his hand on her shoulder, his whole body leaning with him.

“I wasn’t talking about the chill, lass.” Her mouth opened ever so slightly, to allude to her shock, almost ready to protest.

But, Emma didn’t feel like lying to someone who could tell she was.

“Do you think he’s alive?” She asked Hook, her true fear finally coming out to play. Another slow trickles out of her eyes. Damn… She had thought she had been done. Hurriedly, she moved to angrily wipe the tear from her cheek but he beat her to it. Tenderly, his rough and calloused hand moved down her cheek, catching it between his elegant fingers.

They weren’t a pirate’s hands. Or what she thought a pirate’s hands would be. They were narrow and thin, with wide broad nails and a dark tan from decades in the sun. Pity he didn’t have the other. They were more of an artist’s hands, holding a brush, a musician’s hands, dancing across a guitar, a thief’s, lithe and quick enough to snatch a pocketbook.

Above their head, the clouds which had been drifting off and on throughout the day, decided that moment to burst open.

It wasn’t a strong rain, rather a steady drizzle of fat drops.

“If he’s anything like you…” He said, his hand staying on her cheek. Emma, without meaning to, almost leaned into the warmth, the comfort, the feeling against the chilling water. “He’s already escaped.”

Behind her sniffles, she gave him a sad smile, as her bright blonde hair turned to a mousy yellow in the rain, sticking to her face in a pitiful picture.

“I left him alone again.” She stated, a couple more of those unforgiving tears spilling out of her eyes.

“No. He got taken from you. Just like what happened to your parents and you. They couldn’t help it, you couldn’t help it.” Emma’s slow dripping tear abruptly stopped. He was sort of… right. “But I swear, I will get your son back. Or die trying.”

His eyes pleaded for something, Emma wasn’t sure what. Yet, his gaze--his words, broke her walls in an instant. Without thought, she wrapped her arms around him. It was nice, not thinking. It felt even better as he automatically responded, his hand and hook coming around to enclose her body. Usually, to Emma, hugs felt like cages. But this, probably because had made the first move, made her feel safe.

“Don’t you dare die on me.” She said, with a sort of hysterical gasping sob, into his already soaked black shirt, her face pressed into his chest. Against her cheek she realized how hard it was.  

“I can’t guarantee that. Gold’s temper isn’t the most reliable thing in the world.” He joked, looking down at her with that infuriatingly charming smirk and sparkle in his blue eyes.

“Just… don’t leave me.” She said, her head still pressed into his chest.

It just came out. Officially, just for tonight, Emma Swan’s walls were down. Completely and utterly fallen. She had promised herself she would never be this needy. Yet, here she was somehow in Captain Hook’s arms, crying.

“I always seem to come back.” He said, his arms tightening.

She stayed in his arms, letting her tears freely mix with the rainwater on his shirt. Both of them were soaked and the night’s chilly air did nothing good.

“You might want to let go of me now, love.” He said, as the drizzle turned into a hearty, playful beating of water. “Go back to your cabin, get dry, gab with the other princess.”

Emma gave him a betrayed look.

“Don’t you dare try and get rid of me.” She said vehemently. He sighed a fake sigh and stood up, tightening his arms so as to take her with him. She gasped in surprise, as she was pushed up and hung in his arms like a doll. She hadn’t realized he was this much taller than her. A good half a foot at least.

His coat that she was wearing sent a stream of water out, dousing Hook’s already soaked pants and Emma’s white shirt. Making it more transparent than ever.

Emma looked up at the rain as Hook gently set her down. Her legs shake and knees buckled under her weight, as though she didn't have the strength to hold herself up any longer. Both physically and emotionally.

He rushed to catch her before she hit the floor, stopping her in a dip.

“Bloody hell Swan.” He muttered, wrapping his arms around her torso before gathering her almost lifeless form into his arms bridal style.

She didn't respond to him, only closed her eyes and let the feeling of the water wash over her. He made a frustrated sound and mutters ‘Emma,’ before slowly walking. The rocking motion comforted her aching heart.

Emma’s eyes opened to reveal a brightly lit room and Hook directly in front of her as he carefully sat her on something soft. Without looking, she knew just from touch, it was his bed.

He was not looking at her, not noticing she was awake. It left his face completely and utterly unguarded. His hair was stuck to his forehead in little black arrows, lines of worry breaking the white surface. After he managed to work off her boots, and free her feet, he looked up at her.

Almost like a shot, he sprang away from her feet with a bit of fear in those blue eyes, who beared no evidence of their former playfulness. All there was, was that bit of fear, a drop of worry, and a bucketful of caring.

“I’ll.. I’ll just give you some clothes and you can return to your bed.” He said hurriedly, heading to the wardrobe, his own clothes dripping.

“No.” Emma said quietly, but with petulance. He whirled around stunned.

“To what, lass? The clothes?” He was back to his ‘witty’ self. “Not that I mind you going naked…” Hook muttered to himself, turning back to the wardrobe and riffled through it. Emma didn't watch him, instead her attention turned to the other contents of the room. More specifically the bed, which she sat on.

It was four-postered, with a red (typical) duvet and snowy white sheets. The army of pillows at the headboard all had surprisingly elegant gold stitching on it. Not what she would expect from the pirate.

A pile of cloth landed beside her and she sluggishly looked down at it, taking it in her hands. A shirt. One of his shirts.

“It’s going to be way too big.” Emma murmured to herself, stripping off both Killian’s and her jackets simultaneously. His eyebrows go up in “Captain Innuendo” mode and she mentally kicked herself.

“How are you supposed to know if you haven’t tried on the equipment? But, I must say… my sword does fit that description.” The bastard.

Emma groaned externally and gave him a glare.

“I guess I’ll never find out.” She responded with a smirk that gave him a run for its money. His smirk momentarily dropped, but was soon replaced with an even naughtier one. As he started to unbutton his shirt.

“HOOK!” Emma shrieked, without meaning to be so loud. All he did was give her an even cheekier grin and slipped his fingers through another button. Her pale face grew red as she couldn't really stop herself from admiring the hard and well muscled upper chest. Just the upper chest. Who knew how good the lower--and inevitably his below the belt region was.

Emma didn’t give herself a chance to find out. She simply crossed her arms and turned around. He chuckled, a low musical growling and Emma heard the sopping wet shirt hit the ground with a resounding slap.

Then a second one. Hell, no.

“I need to get out of these clothes before I catch pneumonia, Hook.” She snapped, tapping her foot out of impatience… and nerves. He was in the same room as her. Naked.

“Don’t let me stop you.” He said. She could feel his gaze on her. Clearly, the transparent shirt wasn't helping and Emma felt desperately cold. Like she was being stuck into a freezer.

“Put on some pants.” She countered. Instead, she heard the wooden floor creak as he came closer.

“I’d think you would want me to stay like this.” His voice came from behind her, as lilting as ever. His rough stubble scratched against her neck. For a second, Emma was immensely glad her panties were already wet. Just thinking about that behind her… It was just lust, just the need for a good banging. Without thinking, she turned around and shoved him, so hard that he hit the ground.

He was wearing pants. Bastard.

“You do want me to stay like this, correct?” He said, gesturing to his half-clad state. He was still shirtless. And Emma couldn’t really breathe.

She had seen plenty of guys with good bodies. But Killian Jones had a fucking fantastic body. Rippling muscles coating his arms, which were not quite monstrous but just the right about to make them sexy. A washboard set of abs. A trailing of hair was scattered over muscular pecs, stopping at the abs and picking back up near his hips, another asset Emma wouldn’t mind trying, stretching down to disappear into his oddly not skin tight pants. These were looser almost like medieval sweatpants, yet still… Emma could see he was packing.

“I’m not a piece of meat you know.” He said cheekily, walking over to her and throwing himself on the bed.

“Don’t look.” She snapped. He obediently shut his eyes, though Emma still didn't trust him, instead turning to face him on the bed.

This felt wayyyyy too intimate, she complained to herself, as she stripped off her black sweater and white tank top, throwing them into the puddle of clothes that Hook had made. She then shimmied off her jeans with some effort, having to do the classic one leg at a time to get out of them. As she pulled off the left one with victory, she managed to make eye contact with one blue orb.

“No peeking!” She yelled, throwing the wet jeans at him. They hit him full in the face. “Pervert!”

However, he kept his eyes firmly shut.

“I prefer the term admirer.” He responded, holding the soaked denim in his hand. Then, he threw it and somehow, either by skill or luck, it landed in the pile too.

For a brief moment, Emma considered staying in her bra and panties, but they were practically see through anyways. And not helping her stay warm at all.

Despite the warmth of the lit cabin, her whole body shivered.

Reluctantly, she unstrapped the white lace bra and slid the matching panties down her long legs. The moment they landed in the pile she was rushing to slip on the far too big (as she suspected) black button down. Thank God that it came down to her knees.

“Lass…. Are you sure that you doing want to try my skills with swordsmanship?” He asked and Emma started, nearly slipping on the water on the floor, before giving him her best glare.

“Move.” She said roughly, sitting on the bed and again giving him a hard shove that knocked him to the floor.

“You know when you chained me up on top of that beanstalk, I knew you were kinky, but love… This is really crossing the line.” He grumbled, picking himself back off the ground and sat on the bed again, only to be pushed off by the blonde's foot.

“Stop taking your fucking aggression out on me.” He growled, picking himself up off of the floor. Again.

“I’m not!” She protested, though she didn't hesitate to knock him off of the bed. This time however, Killian landed smoothly, with one hand braced on the floor.

And then the Pirate’s anger became apparent.

“Yes. You are. It’s your defense mechanism. You’re scared of me. Of intimacy. Not sex, no… You’re scared of letting those precious walls down.” She started to protest, rising off of the bed and standing on the opposite side of where Killian was leaning, paralleling him. “Newsflash sweetheart: The moment I spoke to you on that beanstalk they’ve been falling down. You keep putting up glass to repair them, but I break them just as easily.”

“Hook….” She said, but he cut her off with his retort, his blue eyes the color of lightning as it striked.

“Say my name!” He snarled, his hands clenching around the bedclothes.

“Hook.” She answered, just as definitely.

“God dammit, Swan! I just cradled you in my arms and held you while you sobbed your heart out. I gave up three centuries of revenge! I chose you.” Killian shouted. Emma’s mouth drops and she began to stutter grasping at straws of what exactly to say.

When she didn't come up with anything, Hook released the duvet and started to storm off towards, his face a black brooding cloud.

The sting of rejection hadn’t met Hook in a long time. Yet, it hurt all the same.

As he threw the door open, and the wind howled outside, sheets of rain coming down, Emma found her voice.

“Don’t… Don’t leave. I don’t want to be alone… not tonight.” She looked like the picture of broken. Killian mused as he looked back at her. Her eyes had faded to a dull and lifeless murk of swamp green, and the previously brilliant blonde hair, hung damp, stuck various places of her pallid, almost greyish skin.

The expression she wore made it worse. Emma Swan, the princess who had knocked him out, chained him up, and more than once left him for dead, didn’t look strong. Slight tremors shook her hands as she twisted the sheet in them, letting it cover her legs. She didn’t have her fire in her eyes. Instead, there were hollow pits of despair that she had been trying so desperately to hide all night. Though she was all cried out, they looked as though they were ready to spill over again.

And looking at her, Killian knew he couldn’t leave her. Not again. And all his bravado, all his innuendo, all his cockiness left him looking at her.

He didn't respond to her with words, only quietly shutting the door and pacing over the bed, his eyes still trained warily on hers. Reaching the left side of his bed, he stopped at the bedside table to unbuckle the contraption that held his hook in place. Working his way down his arm, he unbuckled each of the leather fasteners, the contraption grew looser until he’s able to shrug it off and place it on the  table. Then he blew out each of the illuminating candles.

In the darkness, without meeting Emma’s eyes, he slid into the bed next to her, the awkward almost tangible in the cabin.

She was cold. So cold even under the feather duvet and massive amount of fabric. Instinctively, she moved towards him her body aching for heat. Killian shrank away from the chill at first, but still allowed her legs to press against his.

For a second, she didn'ta move, mentally scolding herself for giving the pervy pirate this …. intimacy. Emma waited for the snarky comment, but it never came.

She was still cold. And near sleep, she blamed herself, as her upper body moved closer to his. Her torso pressed against his bare one, and automatically sleepily, his arms went around her, cradling her against him.

The both of them, near sleep, emotionally exhausted, their walls were down. All Emma wanted right now… was to be told everything was going to be okay. To be held in someone’s arms and feel like the weight of the world wasn’t on her. To be cherished.

To be loved.

All Killian wanted was for her to stop. Stop this self-destructive pattern that had made the bean wither. This broken shell of a woman needed to be full again. And Killian wanted to return the favor she had given to him. For three hundred years, he had been a shell. A vengeful shell that at times didn’t even want to live. Since meeting Emma, she had slowly began to coax Killian Jones out of the Hook. She had drove him to the brink, drove him to get his revenge, and eventually to drop it.

Now she was just like him, she needed something to pull her back from the edge.

And for some reason, some compulsion, Killian Jones wanted to be that something.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------B + S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Next Morning….

Klaus and Caroline jumped out of the small row boat onto shore, the water splashing against her legs and boots, along with Kol and Emma trailing behind them and Regina and Gold, while the pirate stayed in the boat, along with Snow and Prince Charming.

Caroline had started calling for her friends, while Klaus started yelling for his sister. Kol’s mouth, to his surprise remained shut, probably to spring the news on everyone.

“Stefan!” Caroline hollered at the same time.  “Bonnie!” Caroline shouted. “She-Devil!” He could feel the smirk on her lips when she said that.

Emma stayed a safe distance away from everyone, not wanting to alarm anyone.

“Caroline?” Stefan called softly, appearing from the thicket to reveal himself.

“Hey, you guys okay?” she asked, walking up further onto the beach.

“Sister, come out come out wherever you are, I would love to play hide and seek but we haven’t the time, I know you miss me!” Kol hollered, a big fat smirk plastered on his face as he yelled.

Rebekah came running out of the bushes only to hit the invisible barrier and fall back on her ass.

Caroline tried to hold her laughter.

“KOL!” Rebekah shrieked, with a shocked and gaping expression on her face as she shuffled on the ground to get back up.

“Nice to see you too sister” he smirked.

“Nik, how… HE’S DEAD.” Rebekah asked, pointing to Kol.

“Thank you for your eloquence dear sister. A thousand years and you go for he’s dead. Now, where’s the Bennett witch?” Klaus asked.

“Nik, we’re not the only ones here” Rebekah said slowly, before out came from behind her was his eldest brother, in a suit, as always.

At least he had the decency to remove the dress jacket Klaus mused.

“Brother, when did you catch wind of the cure?” Klaus asked, his tone oddly formal.

“I followed Katarina here, but unfortunately she won’t give up the cure” he replied.

“She’s still here?” Klaus asked and Rebekah snarled at the woman now revealing herself dressed exactly like Elena had been when she left but with the big smirk on her face, you could easily tell it wasn’t the younger--sweeter--doppelganger.

“I see whenever one of you die, you just come right back” she commented, staring at Kol but Kol smirked at her comment.

“One of the many perks of being an Original ,darling” he replied.

“Katarina” Klaus smirked at her but his smirk was nowhere near amusing. It looked closer to a wolf baring it’s teeth. “Let’s skip all the theatricals and hand over the cure”

“I want my freedom” She countered.

“I want a human doppelganger, now you can do me the honors and provide such a thing or give up the cure and I’ll give you a headstart on that running. Though you won’t get far.” Klaus spoke in a snide tone and a raised eyebrow and Caroline couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“If you can’t grant me my freedom, then I cannot give you the cure” Katherine replied.

“Brother, five hundred years is enough” Elijah stated.

“Whatever hatred you have for her is not worth your life Nik” Rebekah stressed.

“She’s not worth it Klaus” Stefan stated as well.

“Normally I’d just say kill the bitch and find it ourselves but surprisingly, I agree with Team Moral. She’s not worth it” Kol mumbled and turned to face Klaus who wanted to slice everyone’s head off.

“I don’t care what happens to her as long as someone gets the cure before Silas does” Bonnie said.

Caroline sighed heavily and Klaus realized that everyone was looking to her for her say in it but she didn't think that what anyone said at this point will get through to Klaus at all.

But she had to try or else they were not getting off this island anytime soon.

She walked up to Klaus slowly, cautiously, not wanting to use his affections for her to sway his decision but wanting him to see what everyone was trying to say to him.

“Klaus… look.” She said, adding a bit of “no-nonsense-Southern-woman” to her tone. “Katherine has terrorized Elena but she seeks no revenge, played The Salvatore Brothers against one another but they seeked no revenge, she suffocated me with a pillow and I have no desire to seek revenge, we seek no revenge from her because she is not worth it, just give her the freedom she wants, it’s Katherine” she looks to Katherine who has a smirk on her face Caroline mirrors her own survival, sooner or later she’ll do something stupid. It’s what she does” Katherine’s smirk fell and Caroline’s mocking smile widened.

Elijah raised an eyebrow at the scene, rarely was someone able to make his brother see that way. But for some reason, this woman did. He could tell that Niklaus was considering what she was saying, she used Katherine’s own nature against her, he saw her in a different light.

Elijah then smiled and turned to Kol “I already asked Rebekah but I’m curious, how stupid are you to allow a bunch of teenagers to kill you with your own weapon?” he asked, they could all hear the sarcasm in his voice “How are you alive exactly?”

The tension around everyone slowly went away after that question.

“Always a pleasure brother” was Kol’s response but he was not amused, not even the slightest, especially with Elijah’s appearance, him being there was rather odd but not impossible, still with the things the witches had told him about Silas, he had to figure out if it was truly him.

“I find your presence here odd, so I have a question for you Elijah, Our darling sister found herself a fiance in  the 12th century, what was his name and what was he?” Kol asked, and Rebekah, Stefan and a now awake Bonnie was confused as to why he asked such a question.

“Kol why are you babbling about A---” Kol cut her off.

“Wait, allow him to answer the question Sister” Kol smirked.

“Alexander, he was a hunter created by the witch Qetsiyah in 1114” Elijah replied with a raised eyebrow.  
“Good answer” Kol smirked.

“Kol what was the meaning of that?” Rebekah asked.

“We don’t want Silas getting out of that island do we? He can take the shape of anyone he wants you to see. Even Elijah ,who, again I find is odd of him to be here so I had to ask before we release you all, but I’m not completely sure one of you isn’t Silas, it could be Bonnie, it could be Rebekah, it could be dear Stefan….” he trailed off.

"What the bloody hell as you trying to say?" Rebekah asked, annoyed.

"The sooner we get off this island the better." Kol told her as he shook his head at his little sister.

"I'm not going anywhere without that cure so this doppelganger wench better go get it before I start playing the harp with her organs." Rebekah drawled as she slowly stalked up to Katherine who took equal steps away from her.

"You're pathetic, little sister." Kol sneered at her angrily.

"Enough!" Elijah shouted, everyone fell silent but Kol needed to make her see way. No way in hell was he going to let another sibling do something as stupid as he had done, in letting those children kill him.

"Talk some bloody sense into her head! I know her brain is as small as a nut but she needs to listen to me!" Kol blurted out.

“I do not have to do anything, I don’t care about Silas” Rebekah stated.

“Maybe you won’t, but he’ll get into your head. He’ll make you think like it is the right thing to do. Maybe you’ll even fall in love with the ugly bastard who has been nothing but a stone for the past two millenniums.” Kol said amused. He could almost laugh it. His whole family: dead and alive, knew what kind of person Rebekah was. She fell in love easily. If a man, would show her a small amount of attention she’d fall in love with them. It was pathetic really and Kol just couldn’t stand it.

You would’ve thought that with a thousand years old of existence on the Planet Earth, an immortal would learn that the world wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. There was death. There was disease. There was the wrath of God himself. There were demons in the night. There was no hope. People died every day.

Rebekah pointed a finger at him and said, “Go. Away.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you follow me. You’ll die, Bekah! Is a ten percent chance of becoming a human really worth your life? You’ve been in this bloody world for the past one thousand years! You’re not the innocent seventeen year old that Father stabbed with a sword all those years ago. You are a vampire, we are all vampires, we thrive on blood. It is what we do! We’re monsters! Start acting like one. You will never be a normal housewife with a loving husband, two and a half kids, and the white picket fence. So stop dreaming and wake up to the nightmare… Your real life.” Kol said.

“Kol” Caroline hissed at him and he shot his head at her, seeing her angry face made him remember her rant before they left the little town and he immediately calmed down and placed a big fat fake smile on his face, aiming it straight at Rebekah.

Emma felt more and more uneasy being around them, she stayed put, not wanting to put herself in danger.

“Rebekah darling, it’s not that we don’t want you to be happy, it’s just that Silas is a two thousand year old immortal witch with the power to control minds and look like anyone he wants you to see. You may not see this as me protecting you but I am, we are not stronger than him, he can and will bring hell on earth” he said, in a strained voice, as if trying to be nice but wanting to let her know as harsh as he can.

“Rebekah, Damon called me and told me about Jeremy’s death that you were all trapped on this island and while some of us were more than ready to leave you here” Caroline said with a strain, quickly glancing at Klaus and Kol before turning back to her, she continued softly “I will not. You may be a bitch to us all, including me but I came here to save ALL of you, not just Bonnie and Stefan, you as well, if you don’t believe me, fine”

“Jeremy’s what?” Bonnie breathed.

Caroline felt guilty for spilling something to severe to Bonnie of all people without warning.

“Bon, Jeremy’s dead, Elena thinks he’ll come back with the ring but…” Bonnie cut her off.

“He’s a supernatural, being a hunter, the ring won’t work” she said with a coldness that made everyone look at her with worry, especially Kol.

“Then I’d hate to say it but Kol’s right” Bonnie said softly, causing everyone, including Emma, Regina and Gold to look at her in confusion, wanting an explanation.

Kol merely smirked in pride, his eyes tracing the witch’s form. Not bad, he thought, remembering how he had pressed her up against the lockers in the High School.

“Before Stefan found me, I found Jeremy. He said that Katherine knocked him out but he’s fine. He also told me that we needed to keep Katherine on the island so we can get the cure from her so I cast a spell, and… and I don’t remember the spell but I did it and then I looked around and he was gone, then I started looking for him when I stumbled upon Stefan and you guys know the rest….” she trailed off knowingly, as her head fell in shame and sadness.

“So when you said you were looking for Jeremy, you thought he was somewhere in the forest?” Stefan asked slowly and she nodded.

“See what I mean, it was Silas not Jeremy." Kol sighed, “He could be any of you, even Katarina”

“If I was a two thousand year old vampire slash warlock, I would not be bargaining with Klaus of all people for my freedom Einstein” Katherine scoffed and folded her arms across her chest.

Caroline rolled her eyes at her remark but Kol did raise a good point, it was like Katherine to already have been gone. “The night you suffocated me with my own pillow you told me to give The Salvatore’s a message, what was it?” Caroline asked, with not one ounce of emotion attached to it, it freaked her out a little but she’ll live. Klaus however, looked at bit startled at Caroline’s steely resolve.

“Game On” she smirked.

“It’s her” Caroline sighed in frustration “Now can we all swallow our pride so we can leave?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------B+S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline let out one deep and heavy sigh of relief, not only had she gotten Klaus to give Katherine her freedom nub she was able to get her friends to safety before Silas came for them all.

Sitting down on a bench that lined the Jolly Roger, Caroline let out a breath of relief.

All of a sudden, Kol came up behind Bonnie, turned her around viciously, his hands gripping her shoulder, and slapped her extremely hard across her face, the sound of his hand striking her skin echoed on the ship and through the silence of the vessel, gasps came from all corners of the boat. She fell to the ground quite harshly, she was unconscious.

Elijah sped to Kol’s side and held him up by his throat near the edge of the boat.

Caroline sat up immediately, anger slowly building up, while Stefan was still in shock, Caroline’s eyes were red, dark purple veins surrounded her eyes and she snarled as her fangs showed, Regina and Gold stood and watched in horror and awe as well as the rest of the Storybrooke Gang while Klaus was already making his way calmly to Caroline’s side but Caroline was faster, she pushed Elijah aside hard, surprised slightly as he landed on his back and slid across the ship and she  jumped on Kol, as they both went down on the floor of the ship, she shoved her hands in his chest and grabbed the closest organ she could find, she heard a faint grunt of pain but she was blinded by rage at this point.

Suddenly, she was yanked off  of Kol, her hands ripped out of Kol’s chest, causing him to gasp loudly and roughly in pain, Caroline fought to be released, anger raging through her entire body at Kol, she wished he was alive so she could kill him herself.

“Let. Me. Go” she growled loudly.

“Calm down love” Klaus said softly but with a slight grunt as he held her tightly against his chest.

“I hope he’s alive so I can kill him” she snarled and everyone was taken back by her reaction.

“I’m sure Kol had a reasonable explanation for wanting to strike a woman of all things” Elijah chimed in after dusting off his suit and smiling mockingly at Caroline before helping Kol to stand before punching him across his face, sending his head sideways at the impact. “A Bennett witch! I thought you had more manners.” he stressed a little louder.

Kol ran his hands over his already healing jaw and looked down at his blood soaked t-shirt before looking up to a raging angry Caroline currently being restricted in Klaus’s arms.

“I have to admit, I was expecting Stefan to attack me but you’re stronger than you look” he winced at the slight pain he had as he stretches his abdomen slightly.

“If your brother will let me go I’ll be glad to show you just how strong I really am” she growled.

“Everyone needs to calm down or you’ll all get a twitch” Kol smirked but Caroline attempted to wiggle out of Klaus’s arms to get to him for joking about this “Alright, Alright, look, I find it odd that considering the relationship that was there between the Bennett Witch and the little Gilbert boy, she didn’t look sad or distraught about his death. So when she told me her plan to bring the veil down to save the little one, that sounded like something Silas would want you to believe, this trick that if you wake him, ‘he’ll bring back those that died in his name’ crap he’s been selling the locals, the only way to remove the mind control is to knock it out of them and I found it a little unsettling to punch a woman” Kol explained, Caroline seemed to have listened to his logic, she looked down at an unconscious Bonnie and then back up at Kol, she breathed deep, in and out, in and out until she found herself, still angry but understanding.

Klaus stood there for awhile, arms wrapped around her stomach and when he felt her relax, he slowly loosened his arms around her until they were at his side.

Caroline slowly moved towards him, he was a little wary of what she might do but she saw that and offered a small smile.

“You should have told me and let me do it myself” Caroline said calmly.

“I was thinking on my feet, besides, she won’t remember it in the morning, she won’t even remember leaving the island much less the Little Gilbert’s death” Kol waved his hand as he turned around.

Caroline’s smile dropped and she flashed behind him to swiftly snap his neck, causing him to fall with a loud thud and everyone was gaping at her in shock, some in amusement and admiration, mostly Klaus. While the Storybrooke crowd was still trying to catch flies.

She looked up to Elijah who had an arched eyebrow as he looked at her.

“You’re the only decent Original on this boat, do teach him some manners” she stated before turning around and heading to the Storybrooke gang.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------B+S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her friends were currently getting settled in after what happened with Kol, Elijah dragged Kol’s body out of the way so no one tripped over him and Stefan carried Bonnie downstairs on the ship to lie down somewhere peaceful and the original siblings were currently having a family meeting.

Snow walked over to Caroline and sat down beside her. Caroline smiled at the woman that gave off such a motherly vibe and Snow reciprocated that smile.

"How are you?" Snow asked.

"Me? I'm good. I’m calm now,  definitely received and still a bit freaked out about how I almost lost control but good." Caroline answered, her mouth already going a mile a minute.

"I'm glad." She smiled “That means you won’t try to kill us all under a rampage?”

Caroline giggled as she shook her head “No, I rarely lose control of myself. But Bonnie is like a sister to me and I always protect my family. Her mind was being controlled by someone very powerful, and if Kol’s right, the guy that slapped her unconscious, she’ll wake up and wonder how she got on the ship but if he’s wrong, he’s dead” Caroline explained further but decided that she really needed to let it go for now. “Henry... That's his name isn't it?" Caroline asked.

"It is," Snow nodded, a misty fog coming over her eyes.

Caroline nodded and continued, "He seems like a wonderful boy, from what i’ve gathered. And what Emma’s told me. It’s truly tragic that he was pulled into such circumstances."

"Thank you.” Snow says, her voice quiet and a bit surprised the girl that had just be so volatile could be so sweet. “Henry is strong... Wherever he is, he'll survive. He is a survivor. Just like his mother."

Caroline nodded in agreement, "I've known Emma a couple of hours and I could already tell that she has went through a lot."

"She did... My husband and I couldn't raise her ourselves... We were cursed to forget her… and each other by the Evil Queen. We had to send her away so she didn’t fall victim as well to her plot."

"Regina..." Caroline said as her voice trailed off and landed on the evil queen who stood beside Mr. Gold. The two were conversing, sneaky looks on their faces..

"Regina," she nodded. "We forgive her though. I actually feel horrible. I killed her mother."

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked surprised that such an innocent woman, Snow White for god’s sake,  would do such a thing.

"I tricked Regina." Snow said as she looked down sadly.

"It's not your fault. I took the life of an innocent man when I first turned. I was angry, sad, confused, but I was mostly hungry. I wanted his blood and I took it along with his life. I'm going to have to carry that with me for as long as I live. Which is eternity..." Caroline said as she wiped away a stray tear that traveled down her cheek.

Snow put a reassuring hand on Caroline's back and tried to calm the blonde down.

"It's okay. Everything will be okay...someday."

"Someday," Caroline sobbed but nodded. Time would heal her. She just had to be patient.

"Caroline?" Klaus asked, his voice worried.

Caroline looked up at him and she wiped the tears away.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he came forward and shot Snow a dirty look. Did she say something to Caroline that upset her?

"I'm fine." Caroline said bitingly before excusing herself.

"What did you say?" Klaus asked.

"Nothing... She just needs time." Snow said before she herself walked away.

Klaus looked at her with confusion.

Time? What did she need time for?

\-------------------------------------------------------------------B+S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonnie woke up with a groan, she sat up on what felt like a bed and rubbed her eyes, as her sight cleared, she gasped loudly at her surroundings.

She remembered being on the island and now she woke up in a bed, a giant bed, with a smirking Kol sitting at the end.

She shrieked loudly as her eyes were wide and her entire body shook with fear. He wasn’t supposed to be alive, unless she was…

“Am I dead?” her trembling voice asked softly to Kol.

“No you are very much alive” he responded amused.

“Where am I?” she asked, taking glances around the room she was in.

“The better question would be, what’s the last thing you remember?” Kol asked softly.

“I remember I was dying on the ground, someone saved me with their blood, that’s it” she replied slowly, before looking up at Kol “I do remember seeing your dead and burnt corpse on the floor in Elena’s house”

“Yes well, another question for another time” he stated “What do you know of Jeremy?”

“He was there, is he alright, where’s Elena and Stefan?” she kept asking questions upon questions.

Just in time, Stefan came in the room and a slight relief came over Bonnie.

“Stefan, what happened on the island?” Bonnie asked.

Stefan just smiled sadly at Bonnie “Kol, could you excuse us for a minute?”

Kol stood immediately and flashed out of the room. From walking away from the door, he could hear Bonnie’s cries as the news of Jeremy’s death consumed her and his heart clenched for her. He was glad Stefan told her instead of himself, he would have made it into some kind of sick joke in which would result in a very painful headache or explosion of brains.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------B+S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As night fell, the majority of people retired to their bedrooms. It was tight, some people having to sleep in the less spacious cabins one floor down from the ones Hook had shown them earlier, but they all fit. There wasn't enough room so Gold, Regina, and Bonnie created some.

As Caroline walked down to her bedroom, he looked around the hallway. She didn't want Klaus to see her. Not after her little, or well big cry fest earlier.

Caroline let out a sigh of relief as she slipped into her bedroom, unnoticed.

Klaus cleared his throat and Caroline pivoted.

"What are you doing here!!!?" She asked him as she put her hand to her heart. She could feel her undead heart beating in her ears.

"We're sharing a room again." He said as he motioned to the queen sized bed in the center.

"I'm not sleeping with you again."

"Why? It's not like we're going to do anything..." he trailed off with the most giant grin on his face.

“We're friends aren't we? Friends have sleepovers..."

"First,  there’s not a ‘friendly’ thought about me in that head of yours” he smirked cheekily at her statement, not bothering to deny her words “Second, I’d quicker have a  sleepover with Stefan or any of the other women on this boat than with you"

“Now, Now, l am nothing if not a gentleman” he said innocently, but his eyes said something completely differently.

Caroline rolled her eyes but walked over to the bed anyway.

"Fine, if you put your hand where it doesn't belong I'll snap your neck." She told him trying to sound threatening but it came out a lot less threatening than she hoped.

"Yes ma'am," he said as he saluted her.

Caroline shook her head with a laugh.

When the two were in bed, they turned away from each other.

The two fell asleep shortly after.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------B+S---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline opened her eyes slowly, feeling heavy weight above her, she saw Klaus’s head hovering above her, her eyes widened but not in complete shock, but the minute she opened her eyes, his head buried itself into her neck as he laid hot open mouth kisses there, his body was pressing her down into the mattress, she realized that her legs were slightly spread open, accommodating him between her legs comfortably, her left leg was a little further away from his hips but her right was touching what felt like his jeans, he was wearing his jeans, she was slightly relieved of this, one of his hands went around her lower back, holding her against him tightly, if she concentrated long enough, she was sure she could feel his arousal against her but she didn’t want to go there, his other hand was massaging her sides soothingly, as he nipped and sucked on the crook of her neck, she could feel her arousal building up between her leg, she opened her mouth to protest but it opened into forming an O to refrain from moaning.

“Stop...What….” she whispered through her now unsteady breathing but Klaus removed his lips from her skin to nibble on her ear.

“Don’t fight it love” he whispered, his voice was extremely husky with desire and soft, along with his silky accent, his words only made her more aroused.

“Just Relax” he drawled the last words with a breath against her heated skin and although her mind was yelling to push him off, her hand unconsciously found his hair as she ran her fingers through it’s softness. He resumed his kisses on her neck but the hand that was massaging her sides was suddenly no longer on her side, she was a little curious as to where the hand disappeared but she gasped as she felt his rough but skilled hand drag lazily against her inner thighs.

She wanted to tell him to stop, so desperately, she didn’t want this, she didn’t want to want this, she shouldn’t want this but she did and that was the hard truth, she wanted him.

She realised that she was not wearing the dress that she thought she wore to bed, she was in her bra and underwear, his hands slowly went further and further between her legs, then, as his fingers grazed her sex from the thin cloth of her underwear, she gasped loudly.

Caroline gasped loudly as she shot up from the bed into a sitting position, she realized that she just had a dream about Klaus, a dirty dream about Klaus.

She realized that her head was resting on his chest yet again, his hands were wrapped around her body protectively and before she could stop herself from waking him to begin with, she slapped his hand away and he awoke in a daze and confusion.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Klaus asked as he looked around the room confused.

"Your hand was around my waist, therefore it was on my body. What did I say about that?" she looked more ashamed than furious, Klaus noticed that.

"Sorry, love..." He apologized.

"You should be." She said before turning away from him to lie back on her side.

"Caroline?"

"What?" She snapped at him.

"Why did you follow me?"

"I wasn't following you." She denied. She had to deny, deny, deny... No matter what.

"So you just happened to drive over to Maine? For what?" Klaus questioned “To Sunbathe?” his brow furrowed in amusement. The only place that got less sun than Maine was Canada. And Caroline didn’t like mooses.

"I'm tired and I want to sleep so just forget it." She said and sighed. Caroline turned away from him and lay her head on her pillow.

Klaus put his hand in Caroline's shoulder and she said, her voice dangerously low, "Don't touch me."

"Caroline! What the hell is going on? Just a couple of hours ago we were having a normal conversation and now you're acting like this. Why?"

"Klaus! Stop” she sat up roughly and turned to face him, she was extremely irritated at this point. “Stop asking me so many questions."

"Why did you follow me Caroline, tell me or I’ll force the answer out of you"

"You would really do that to me?" She asked in a soft disappointed voice, partly shocked.

“If I have to” he replied. He didn't want to lie to her.

“Klaus let me ask you something, what is your biggest fear?” she asked, taking him completely off guard.

His eyes were wide staring down at her as if he was staring at the most scary thing on the planet.

“Exactly” she shook her head "This is exactly why we can't be friends, you’ll use compulsion, some freaky sire bond or a threat to get someone to like you. I have no clue how Stefan could have managed to make friends with you in the first place. In order for us to be friends we have to trust and respect each other, something I’m sure is very foreign to you, us being friends doesn't mean I have to tell you every little secret I have, just like you don’t have to tell me any little secret you have locked up in that safe inside your head. I'll let you in on a little secret, Klaus. I like you, or better yet, I deal with you because I actually have faith in you. If you really want us to be friends, show me that you're capable of it. Did you really think I said all those things when I was dying because I was seeing things? I remember it, all of it was true. All if it." She said before turning away from him and closing her eyes, willing herself to go to sleep so he can also go to sleep and let her be.

Klaus watched her, his mouth agape.

I actually have faith in you

I like you.

This was all very foreign to Klaus. He slowly relaxed his tense body as he lay back down on side, his back facing her back, but his eyes were so big, those words made energy surge through his entire body, he was way too alert to sleep.

Maybe she wasn't ready but she would be one day. Just like the woman said, what was her name again…..ah yes Snow White, Caroline needs time.

Review?

-Cindy, Kat & Hana


	4. Problems with Portals and Pirates

**Hello everyone!**

**Thank you so very much for everyone who has supported this story, we’re super excited to show all of you where it goes!**

**In honor of this week being both TVD’s and OUAT’s we’ve decided to post today, so that the two hour season premiere can be much more enjoyable.**

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**Thanks again, and we hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**\- Cindy (klaroline-fantasies), Kat (TheDuchessofFiction), and Hana (klaroline-heaven)**

 

**Chapter 4- Problems with Portals and Pirates**

“There’s been… complications.” Bonnie said, sitting down at the oak table and throwing the black velvet pouch onto the wood. Caroline tried to keep from giggling, but failed epically, the line reminding her all too much of some of her favorite hospital dramas.

“With the bean, Care!” Bonnie snapped, shooting her a look, knowing good and darn well what her bubbly blonde friend was laughing about. Though it didn’t stop the witch from giggling as well.

“What do you mean _complications?”_ asked Regina, who clearly, missed the whole Grey’s Anatomy reference. Her eyes burned through the giggling teenagers, making their grins disappear and graveness return.

“The bean.” Bonnie began, tapping the pouch, “has insanely strong inherent magic, that isn’t ‘activated’ yet. Everytime I try and reactivate it, a sort of… hole starts to open. And I have to close it.”

Gold smirked as Regina’s eyes narrowed..

“The hole is the portal.” Regina said acutely. “Usually the bean’s magic is already active and all you have to do is throw it into the ground or the air. However, this bean.” She casted a glare at Hook, who didn't notice as he was still too busy admiring Emma’s hair. “is damaged. Yet, you can get it open correct?”

Bonnie nodded.

“And you opened it more than once?” Gold, his look conniving and utterly plotting. Bonnie nodded again. “How would you feel about going to Neverland, dearie?”

Bonnie’s look was utterly priceless. Like a drowning fish, her mouth dropped open and she gasped.

“Why do you need her there?” Caroline said, wrapping her arms around her friend protectively. There was no way in hell she was going to let some shady ass man who murdered his wife take her best friend to a magical land that only existed in movies. She’d sooner give Klaus a blowjob then do _that._

“Your friend possesses a unique talent--or rather connection. To nature. Usually for us, the bean is used up after one use. However, apparently not only is she the only person that can hold the portal open, she can reuse the only bean we have.”

“No way.” Bonnie interrupted, pushing back against the table and standing up, the chair making sharp screeching sounds. “I’m not going to fucking Neverland. My _boyfriend_ just died. I was being controlled by a two thousand year old psychopath. I need to go home.”

She started to the door, her expression wild and unsure.

“Wait!” Emma stood up, tears shining in her eyes. “Please.” Her voice cracked and the shining tear trailed down her face. “My… my son’s there. I can’t abandon him. Not like I was.” Emma stood there, like a cracked and broken statue, the only sign that she hadn’t turned to stone being the silent tear running down her porcelain cheeks.

The closest person to her, the man she had been so desperately trying to avoid since _that night,_ leaning against the wall with his casual confidence that only came from men who knew they were villainous. And reveled in it.

Villainous, however, Captain Hook was not as he put a gentle hand onto the crying princess’s shoulder. Her father sent her a murderous glare though the blue eyed pirate didn’t see it, too busy giving the stubborn Witch a glare of his own.

“Bonnie…” Caroline said, gently, as her friend teetered on the brink of walking out the door. “Remember your mom.”

That sparked something in the Bennett. Her wary eyes snapped into an anger that turned the warm chestnut brown of her eyes to the harsh rough color of bark.

“I’m not Abby.” She snarled, slamming the door with a bang and storming back to the table. Almost violently, she snatched the pouch up and took the bean out. As she held it, blue magic crackled through the air around her, wind coming out of nowhere in the cabin.

This wasn’t Bonnie. At least, not sweet Bonnie Bennett that had once roamed the halls of Mystic Falls High School. _This_ Bonnie was dangerous, sparking with rage and magic all in one as if she was a ticking time bomb.

“Where would you like to go?” She said, directed at not Emma, but Gold with deadly calm as the winds picked up and a blue light began emit from the bean in her hand.

“... I… I don’t know, child.” He stammered, almost in awe of the complete and utter lack of control, though somehow the little witch had total control of her power.

Bonnie cut off the wind, and the light, and the vortex almost as soon as she started it and sat back in the chair, her fingers pressed to her lips in a waiting pose. Everyone in the room, including Caroline, looked properly frightened at the witch.

Except… except Kol.

He grinned devilishly at Bonnie, as if highly anticipating her next trick, seeing how far she could go before she destroyed everything.

“Figure it out.” She said, with finality, throwing the pouch down on the table once more and this time stomping out. The slamming of the door shook the whole cabin and Hook, who no one--not even Emma--had realized had his arms around her the whole time, protectively-- stormed after her, opening the door and yelling after her.

“DON’T ABUSE HER! JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE UPSET DOESN’T GIVE YOU ANY RIGHT!” He shouted, half of his body out the door, while his feet stay firmly planted in.

“Her?” Caroline giggled, unable to help herself. The pirate whirled around and gave her an offended glare. While Hook decided to be dramatic, Regina and Gold slipped out, snatching the pouch up from the table, no doubt to assure Bonnie they could find the location and still needed her powers.

“Yes. The Jolly Roger.” He said, his look quite confused. “Haven’t you ever been on a ship before?” He gave her a wink. Next to her she felt Klaus tense up, as though ready to change. Without thinking, she slid her hand under the table to place it on his leg, reassuringly. Instantly, his body stiffened in a whole other way. Caroline allowed herself a small victory grin before answering Hook.

“No..” She admitted, biting her lip.

“Well neither have I!” Emma cut in, her expression telling Caroline she was not pleased at all at Hook’s behavior. As much as the sheriff tried to deny it, she felt something for the Captain. Clearly enough to merit a bit of jealousy.

“Really lass?” He said, leaning against the door, as though her father--and mother-- weren’t giving him the look of death.

Then, with a boyishly jovial look on his face, he grabbed the seething blonde’s hand pushed against the door, and quite literally, dragged her out on deck.

“Are you jealous?” Caroline asked Klaus, turning to him with a teasing expression on her face. Klaus looked completely and utterly stunned, still focused on Caroline’s hand firmly planted on his thigh.

However, his siblings were much more adept at recognizing his situation.

Kol put both his hands on the table, peaked his head down and immediately went into ‘annoying little brother’ mode.

“Go Nik. Finally getting off of first base. But were you ever even on it?” Kol said snarkily, Klaus rewarded him with a deadly glare while the eldest of the Mikaelson brothers arching an eyebrow with a smirk that he couldn’t really hide.

“I was.” He said insistently and Rebekah snorted an unladylike laugh.

“He’s not. He’s not even out of the dugout.” Caroline said with a slightly malicious smirk. Klaus looked to Stefan for some assistance from his former comrade.

“Then how’d those drawings get all those angles of h…” Before Stefan could finish his sentence, Klaus sped over to him and clamped his hand over Stefan’s mouth. All that came out was a collection of words that, to Caroline, sounded suspiciously like “her body.”

Her blue eyes widened as she realized what her best friend was trying to say.

“ _KLAUS!_ ” She shrieked, vampire speeding over to where he stood next to Stefan, like a naughty school boy waiting for his punishment. However, whereas most teachers would settle for a scolding, Caroline moved straight onto violence, slapping him hard across the face. For but a moment, a red hand mark stayed on his cheek before it healed to his usually stubble dusted, flawless white skin.

And he did nothing.

All of them had forgotten about the other occupant of the group, part of their little group of the undead.

“Look at you.” A snarky voice came from behind Elijah. “ _Klaus._ Immortal, heartless, _special_ Klaus. Whipped by a _baby_ vampire.”

Caroline turned to her sharply with a glare that could kill “Someone’s adamant about digging her own grave after being saved from death sentence”

Katherine had a look on her face a kin to a cat caught in the cream. Or rather a vampire in a blood bank.

“I turned her, you know.” She said conversationally, opening cabinets in search of alcohol. Klaus raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned to the still fuming Caroline. “For the vampire sacrifice.”

Klaus snarled at Katherine, the yellow of his eyes becoming more and more prominent.

“Not sure whether to kill you or thank you…” He said, his walk more of a stalk of a predator.

“If you bite her, then I guess you can do both.” Kol mused, taking out his cell phone and tapping the screen several times to unlock.

“You will do neither.” Elijah said harshly, the dark coffee of his eyes temporarily losing their cool as he looked at his brother and roughly grabbed Katherine’s arm, holding it protectively.

“Why not?” Klaus asked. “Don’t you remember what I told you? We are vampires. We don’t _love,_ we don’t care.”

“And that you have it. Nik, you’re the greatest hypocrite of all.” Rebekah cried, shooting up out of her chair so fast it fell to the ground. There was no denying how her eyes flicked between Caroline, who looked unabashed at the ‘attention’ though on the inside it took all her control to keep her from running, and Klaus, who still looked a bit feral, but there was just a hint of doubt in his clear blue eyes as he recalled exactly how much he had changed for the woman next to him.

With a dramatic, and typically Rebekah sigh, she stormed out, her high heeled boots making black marks on the polished wood.

“Those were your words Niklaus, not mine” Elijah stated confidently.

Elijah and Katherine left too, the former casting his silent brother a final glare as he dragged the brunette out the door by her hand.

Eventually, their friends all left one by one, leaving Klaus and Caroline quite alone. Neither of them minded too busy in their own thoughts.

Caroline worried for Klaus, hoped of him. Maybe he could change.

Klaus worried if he had lost himself. Or maybe, he had just found what once was lost.

\--

“I think you’re going the wrong way.” Emma said stubbornly, sitting on a barrel dejectedly messing with the dagger she had oh so cleverly plucked off of Hook.

Killian had pretended to be sour when she had grabbed it from him, half hearted trying to take it back. Yet, he let her keep it, the payment enough of just seeing the depressed and sullen cloud lift from her face even for a few seconds.

“I’ve been sailed for over three centuries, lass.” Killian said, turning the wheel just a quarter of an inch to the right, navigating the unfamiliar land with only his instincts, the stars, and Emma.

The blonde wasn’t in the mood to do anything but critique him, the sour look returning to her face moments after she had held the dagger in her thin, lithe fingers.

It had been Milah’s. She had never truly learned to use it, yet, the stubborn woman had still carried it around since Killian had given it to her. Coincidentally, the day she joined his crew.

The weapon, sleek and silver with elegant rubies encrusted into the hilt, deadly beautiful, just the woman who had once wielded it, and the one who carried it now.

“These are strange waters.” Emma said, her tone almost teasing. Hook looked over at the blonde, with one black eyebrow raised.

“Something funny, Swan?” He asked. Emma giggled under her breath, while a full blown laugh came from the quarterdeck.

“Admit I’m right, Emma!” called Caroline, trudging out of the mess door with an uncertain smile on her lips and a bottle of alcohol in her hand, with a handful of glasses in the other.

Klaus slowly followed her out the door, a second bottle of rum already raised to his lips. The man was clearly on a mission to fogginess.

“Right about what?” Killian asked, straightening out the wheel and casting a look to the sky. According to the heavens, they wouldn’t be making it back to Storybrooke tonight.

“You guys are seriously so Pirates of the Caribbean.” Caroline walked over to where Emma sat and handed her one of the glasses, putting the cork of the glass in her mouth at the same time. A distinct popping sound came and the other blonde tossed the cork of the side and quite gleefully doled out the alcohol.

“Pardon?” He asked positively bewildered. Vaguely, in those hazy drunken memories, he remembered the pair of brothers mentioning the Caribbean was a sea last night, yet the context at which the vampire had said it made no sense.

Nor did it merit Emma’s signature glare.

“I fail to see the resemblance, love.” Klaus called, already at the anchor, easily throwing it into the water, as Killian had once been able to do, he thought begrudgingly. “And I lived it.”

“But did you see the movies?” She said, a twinkle in her eyes as she took a quite lengthy sip of alcohol, crossing her legs on the barrel next to Emma. Emma, however, didn’t even try to look like the princess she was. She slouched a bit, her curls tangled every which way. She drank longer than was appropriate for a lady, even in the worst of times, and Killian was pretty sure even ladies of this world didn’t carry weapons.

Then again, he never one for the typical woman.

“I don’t dash to the cinema just because there’s a shirtless male in the film, love. Unlike certain people I know” He said with a wink, taking a swig of rum as Caroline’s mouth dropped open and her pale skin turned a shade of crimson.

“I DO NOT.” She shrieked indignantly, uncannily reminded Killian of Swan, who was slightly grinning at the pair, the glass poised at her lips.

“What the hell is a movie?” Killian swore, snatching the bottle from Klaus and taking a long drink, his blue eyes flashing a shade or two darker than the sky.

Emma and Caroline burst out into full blown giggles, at his apparent incompetence, and even Klaus cracked a smile, retaking the bottle from Killian.

“I just told you last night, Killian.” Emma said, with a sympathetic, pitying look on her face, not realizing that the alcohol loosening her tongue. The second after she said it, the look dropped from her face and her hand went over her mouth.

Hook didn’t bother to ask for clarification from last night, like what a picture was, assuming it was something like a painting. He was much too interested in her long-awaited usage of his real name. It felt good to hear something other than a harsh Hook, or a teasing Captain.

“I thought Captain Hook’s first name was James?” Caroline asked, no doubt recalling the tale that Emma had first heard of him from.

“Killian Jones, lass. Pleasure to be of service.” He said coyly with a bow to Caroline, and a wink at Emma. Emma didn’t look amused, though her younger friend couldn’t help but giggle.

“He’s seriously the exact same personality. If everyone of you guys act like your characters, I’m going to need some popcorn.” She said finishing her glass and popping off the barrel with her usual boundless energy.

Emma looked at Killian, clearly ready to answer his question about what popcorn was.Yet, it never came. Instead, he went back to looking at her, passing the rum between himself and the vampire.

“I don’t know… Are you two Bella and Edward?” Emma replied, giving Caroline a sly smile. She reacted quite badly, her face turning red and a look of indignation coated her face. However, it was nothing compared to what her ‘not-boyfriend’ did.

“I DON’T SPARKLE.” He said, after spewing out a generous mouthful of amber rum onto the Jolly’s surprisingly clean deck. White, razor sharp fangs stuck out of his mouth as he gave Emma a positively murderous glare.

“Also, Klaus, fangs away.” Caroline chided, tossing the empty bottle over the side and turning back. “we’re not in a relationship.”

Neither Emma nor Killian fully believed what she had said. The entire ship had assumed it, just from their body language alone. When she moved, he did as well, a subconscious reaction like those in love. Or more so, true loves. Their arguing, both petty and heavy, was always done with gusto, yet neither side ever truly meant the words. And somehow, they always ended up in the same place, teasing each other, slight flirting on her part, open pursuing on his.

“Riiiigggghhhhtttt….” Emma said, sarcastically. Emma finished her glass. “So, what do you do? Instead of sparkle.”

“ _I_ kill.” Klaus said with a wicked grin, flashing his fangs once again with a hint of gold in his eyes. Emma took  a step back in shot, straight into Killian’s arms, while Caroline just rolled her eyes and shot Emma a sympathetic look and a glare to Klaus.

“No. You don’t.” Caroline said all seriousness, her light blue eyes turning a stoic grey. Leaning against the door, that led to the cabins, her position was calm. However, her body language was not. She carried herself with the aura of a commander. Or a queen. “Not under my watch.”

“Since when am I under your watch?” Klaus teased, coming down the stairs towards her, his hand dragging on the banister. His fangs and unnatural eyes had retreated, to be replaced with a cheeky grin Emma swore was identical to Killian’s and sparkling navy eyes.

“Since you snuck into my bedroom!” Caroline called, her voice echoing down the hallway. Klaus turned back to look at Killian and Emma, who was still cradling Hook’s arms delicately, and gave him a respectful nod before going after his blonde. Still calling out slightly--ok extremely--inappropriate innuendos and her feebly defending herself against them.

Emma, though every part of her brain was screaming at her to sock Hook in the face, stay in _Killian’s_ arm, letting the firm, muscled limbs wrap around her torso and pull her into the hard chest.

Like last night, she had once again ended up in the moonlight with the pirate, in quite a romantic situation. Unlike last night, she didn’t need it.

Yet, she didn’t care that she didn’t need it. She wanted it. She wanted someone else to take the reins for a while, to make her feel like she was worth it, that she had done something right, even when everything she did was wrong.

“Hook…” She said, uncertainly, slightly wriggling against the cage of his arms.

“So are we back to that, lass?” He sighed a dramatic sort of sigh and looked down at her. She scowled at him, but didn’t struggle.

“Back to what, _Hook_?” She snapped, pulled out his arms and whirled to face him.

“And here I hope you were the only person who could see past the metal and look at the man.” He said quietly, shaking his head at himself. His blue eyes had melted into the misty color of the clouds, and he seemed to be chiding his own… stupidity?

Yes. Emma knew it well. It was kicking yourself in the ass. After you trusted them.

In the moment, she wondered if she could really do so much damage to him. Moreover, why she could cause all this with a simple word. And then, she decided to kick her own walls down and just go for it.

“I’m sorry Killian…” She whispered, standing on her tiptoes just so that she could wrap her arms around his torso in a hug. His whole body stiffened staying that way for what seemed like an eternity, but then he warily relaxed into it, tentatively, awkwardly placing his arms around her.

Last night, it had been her thoughtless move too, and he had just reacted. But, tonight, it seemed, his brain was on.

“What for, love?” He said, his voice even below a whisper, his head bent to her level, his mouth next to her ear. His rough stubble scratched at her skin, tickling her.

“Everything.” She breathed, looking up at him as he withdrew from her ear, his piercing blue gaze lasered in on her and her alone.

The second after she said it, his face split into a surprised, stunned, elated expression that shaved centuries off of him. Like looking back, she could see the man behind the revenge, behind the years, behind the hook.

Emma didn’t think at all in the next instant. She doesn’t even realize she did it until her mouth was pressed to his, the warmth of his lips dormant under hers, still fixed in that irritating, annoying, adorable smirk. He was surprised, but only for an instant before he starting kissing her back with equal fervor. From what she had originally intended, to apologize, the kiss turned into something more. Something with so much more feeling, that all Emma could do is describe the electricity and the heat of the softness of his lips on hers.

There wasn’t tongue, nor teeth, nor any tinge of sexuality in the kiss. All it was-and everything it was; was two people trying to let go of _everything_. And place it in the others care.

Her hands wandered away from his neck, threading into his raven mop as his hooked arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her into him even further, while the other moved around her shoulders. Last night, Emma hadn’t been able to stand, but tonight she held her ground, keeping the lock between their lips until either of them couldn’t breathe anymore.

Pulling back first, Emma opened her eyes slowly, to see the wonder in Hook’s not decrease as he slowly moved his hand to caress her cheek, keeping the hook wrapped around her waist, keeping her body close to his.

“Bloody hell Emma.” He whispered, his blue eyes glowing in the moonlight. A true smile graced her face as she looked up at him, the sparks of the kiss still pulsing through her veins.

“Bloody hell yourself, pirate.” She replied, using the term with no malice. Instead, he returned her grin and lunged in again , this time not towards her lips as Emma thought, but to a chaste school-boy kiss on her cheek, his lips ghosting her skin, giving her goosebumps.

And then the moment ended, his arms loosening around her, freeing her and unintentionally causing her to fall slightly back, against the wheel. She righted herself and looked at Killian.

He was looking at his metal appendage, with almost indecision, either ready to toss it over the edge or firmly push it back into place and carry on with a blackened heart.

Emma wanted to run, and she did, but only for a few steps, stopping at the end of the steps  to look back at him, gazing forlornly at her. It was as if the years adding onto his shoulders again, his gaze going harder and harder, the mischievous look leaving his eyes and he melted back into Captain Hook.

“Goodnight Hook.” She said, her green eyes breaking with her heart as she watched the man known as Killian Jones disappear. With a sad sigh, she looked at him once more before disappearing down the hall.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the ship docked and everyone seemed to rush a million different ways, Katherine leisurely walked off the gangplank, digging through her snakeskin Prada purse.

Katherine stopped in front of Elijah as he got off of the ship with a bright smirk and keys in her hands.

“I got a car for us so we can get out of this one pony town to somewhere nice and quiet where we can be alone. Let’s go” she spun without allowing him any chance to answer and began to walk off, thinking he was following her, per usual.

“I am not leaving, Katarina” he stated and Katherine froze in her tracks, the joy she felt at finally being free after 500 years and being able to be with the man she loved seem to have fell off her face instantly as she knew she was dead but her heart constricted and began to thump impossibly fast against her chest at his words.

She slowly turned around to face him, at least hoping to see a small smirk on his face in amusement but there was none, his face was dead serious, his stance was firm and she knew whatever he had going on in his head, she would not be able to talk him out of it, that scared her even more.

“What do you mean, you’re not leaving?” her tone was cold, ready for the rejection she was about to receive for reasons she did not know and probably never would.

“Bonnie is going with these people to rescue a little boy, Caroline insists on not allowing her to go alone, Niklaus refuses to allow Caroline to go with these people alone and I am done abandoning my family Katarina, I refuse to, I hope one day you can understand my reasons for staying with them but for now, I hope you finally find peace in this world with your freedom” the way that he smiled at her at his own words, it was a sad smile as he kissed the top of her head and whispered ever so gently, “Goodbye Katarina” and left her to her own devices, she wanted to cry, so badly.

But it was weak.

He was breaking her heart into a million pieces and all for a family that barely returned the love he had for them. It was then that she remembered that Elijah was above all, a noble man, he would sacrifice love for his family and she should have known that this was going to happen, always able to know what someone was going to do before they did it.

It was more difficult for Elijah but not impossible, yet she felt stupid for believing that he’d prove her wrong and go away with her but as she predicted, he chose his family over her and even though she expected this and even prepared for it, it still broke her into so many pieces that her entire body felt shook with the fear of him leaving her.

Katherine was conflicted.

She had two choices in front of her, she could either choose herself, like she always did, or she could choose him. The man she loved.

Her mind was telling her that she was free, she no longer had to run, she could finally live her immortal life the way that she wanted.

Yet, the stubborn part of her body commonly known as her heart felt an even bigger tether. She wanted him, all of him, and with confliction, she stood shaking in the same spot where she and Elijah had parted, looking around like a lost girl.

Planning was a must. Whatever choice she made today would affect her eternity.

Meandering down the streets without a sense of purpose or even looking at the building around her, Katherine thought of her choice. Past, present, and future.

Vaguely, in the back of her head, she heard the couple from the ship, Prince Charming and Snow White as they had called themselves. She had burst out laughing when told. It seemed just so ridiculous. Their voices intermingled with the pitches of the other two blondes who had been on the ship… Caroline… and their daughter.

\---

The apartment was quite modest, about the same size as Alaric’s back in Mystic Falls, but a lot less ‘bachelor-y’ and a lot more young couple cute. Caroline could hardly resist squealing whenever she saw the couple in question.

I mean come on, Snow White and Prince Charming?

She must have seen _that_ movie two hundred times.

Emma had been distant that morning, barely acknowledging her parents that morning at the railing of the boat, as Hook steered the ship in the quaint little town. In lieu of paying attention to anyone, the entirety of the blonde’s focus was on the Captain, who looked a quite a bit darker and stormier than usual. The looks she threw him weren’t fervent with lust, but aching with worry. He didn’t meet her piercing jade gaze once, instead staying glaring at the horizon.

Yet, Snow… well Mary-Margaret, had insisted on taking Caroline under her wing. Apparently, there had been some sort of latent motherly instinct in her that felt right at home in giving Caroline a good piece advice, a hug, and some _amazing_ food.

Plus, Emma had good clothes.

The other blonde sat her on bed, sorting a stack of child-sized clothes with a misty eyes and harsh resolve on her face.

Caroline went through the closet tossing every cute thing she saw onto the floor, the squeak of the hangers the only sound in the quiet room, besides the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen and the hushed chatter of her parents. Mary-Margaret had generously offered for Caroline to share Emma’s clothes, given they were close to the same size, and because Caroline hadn’t brought any with her, unlike her friends.

“Are you ok Emma?” Caroline asked, taking out a red leather jacket giving it a once over and immediately tossing it on the floor. “You were sort of off kilter this morning.”

“I’m fine.” Emma replied automatically, putting the last of the clothes into the small bag and zipping it up. Gently, she grabbed the leather bound storybook left forgotten on the bedside table, cradling it in her arms as you would an infant.

“So then what happened with Hook after we left? Don’t act like everyone didn’t notice how many times you were staring at him this morning alone.” She retorted, grabbing a red dress and adding it to the already huge-and quickly growing pile.

Emma gave Caroline a glare and didn't respond, placing the book in her handbag along with several other books, whose titles Caroline couldn’t read.

“Did you finally get a bite out of that ass?” Caroline said, scooping up the pile of clothes, several pair of jeans dropping on the floor as she shuffled over to the open suitcase and dumping the entire pile in. The other blonde tiresomely got up and snatched the pairs of pants off the floor, giving the vampire a harsh scowl.

“No!” She hissed, her eyes flicking to the door, urging the vampire to hear the creaking footsteps on the stairs. “I just kissed him, ok?”

Caroline was a typical cheerleader in some respects, still. And that meant that she couldn’t really continue her high-pitched, cover-your-ears loud squeal.

As Emma shushed her and clapped her hand over Caroline’s mouth, Mary-Margaret burst through the door, her short black hair sticking every which way as she whipped her around, searching for the nearest danger--and the nearest weapon. However, all she found was a pair of blondes sitting on the bed, one practically holding the other one down glaring with a sparkle in her eyes while the other’s eyes held only elation and just a hint of mischief, as was often the case of the younger.

“Who’s dying?” She said, the panic falling from her face and exasperation coming of the young woman’s features.

“Nothing!” The girls said in unison, a bit too quickly for Mary-Margaret’s mom instincts to let it slide in lieu of seeing the situation. If things had been different, maybe Emma would have had that reality, fighting with a younger sister, sword fighting with a brother.

Alas, there wasn’t time to fix Emma’s childhood. It was the time to make sure her child’s childhood was perfect.

Yet, Mary-Margaret couldn’t help wishing--as she had so many times since the curse had been lifted--for another child.

Then, she noticed the clothes thrown haphazardly into the suitcase.

“Why aren’t you packed yet?!?” She screeched, rushing over to the bed and picking up a random article of clothing from the mountain and started nervous folding. “We’re leaving in _thirty minutes._ ”

Emma rolled her eyes and jumped off the bed and headed into the bathroom, grumbling the whole way. From the room, Mary-Margaret and Caroline could hear the banging of bottles falling in the shower, cabinets slamming, and the sound of things being shoved into back. She re-entered the room, tugging a brush through her curly hair, and giving the smirking Caroline a glare, daring her to say something.

And Caroline did anyways.

“We were talking about Emma’s late night rendezvous with a certain Captain.” She said, with a cheery smile to wide-eyed Snow.

“Emma?” Her mother asked, stunned. Her daughter froze, looking like a panicked animal ready to bolt.

“It’s… it’s nothing.” Emma stammered, putting the toiletry bags into the two suitcases.

“Doesn’t sound like nothing.” Caroline said in a sing-songy voice, hopping onto the bed with a bounce. “The night before last you didn’t come back to the room. And last night I heard you sneaking back, late.” Caroline’s smile was almost a mirror of Klaus’s smirk, devious and snarky, complete with the raised eyebrows and dimples.

“EMMA SWAN! What _are_ you thinking?!?” She burst, starting to pace the room, her left hand on her wrinkled forehead.

“Nothing happened, Mom!” Emma blurted defensively. The angry, troubled look in Snow’s eyes subsided some, at the word ‘Mom,’ but she still looked ready to kill. She gave her daughter a glare and an eyebrow raise, indicating she had about five seconds to tell her _exactly_ what happened before she went and found the perpetrator herself. “The other night, it started raining and we just went back to his cabin and slept. And nothing happened last night.” She muttered the last part. Snow gave her a look, one Caroline knew well. It was the “I-not-buying-your-bullshit” look.

“I BOUGHT THE STUFF FROM THE STATION EMMA!” called someone from outside the door. A second later it bursts open, to reveal a woman dressed all in red, carrying a whole arsenal in her arms. Emma sighed in relief as she thought she has successfully avoided her mother interrogation.

Yet, she hadn’t.

The other woman--Ruby, Caroline thought was her name, briefly remembering her from the hotel and the diner. Otherwise known as Little Red Riding Hood.

“Emma, please continue explaining why you smell like rum, salt, and spices.” Ruby said, not even making eye contact with the blonde, instead starting to neatly sort the weapons into a suitcase. Snow turned back around, slinging a bow over her shoulder with a quiver of arrows on the other and crossed her arms.

“I DIDN’T HAVE SEX WITH HIM OK?” Emma yelled, picking up two guns and holsters from the bed and slipped them about her hips. “I kissed him.”

Snow’s scowl deepened, while Ruby squealed.

“And I don’t want to talk about it.” She said with finality, a couple of cases of bullets before showing the rest of the arsenal in a duffle bag.

“Why? Was it bad?” Caroline asked, snatching a silver gun before it got put away. Emma raised her eyebrow at Caroline and glared.  
“What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ do you not understand? And why the hell does a vampire need a gun?”

“I’m sorta new at the whole ‘vampire’ thing. Not to mention, I’ve known how to shoot since I was ten. My mom’s the Sheriff, in our town.” Caroline replied sassily.

Ruby looked at the other blonde warily.

“Your… you… don’t have a heartbeat.” She stated, taking a hardly noticeable sniff, her ear pricking up. Caroline nods.

“Werewolf?” Caroline replied cautiously. And Ruby nodded, giving the vampire a cautious smile.

The silence was broken by the Prince.

“Girls we need to go!” He yelled from downstairs, after loading the bags Mary-Margaret had packed into his truck. Snow gave her daughter a look, telling her this wasn’t over. Each other women grabbed a bag, while Caroline insisted on grabbing the weapons, given her supernatural strength. At the door, mother and daughter each gave Ruby a hug, and she left, the red tips of her hair catching the sun.

Caroline was the last one out the door, ready to leave with the Charmings when she spotted Katherine at the door with a look on her face that made Caroline a little uneasy considering the only facial expressions she saw on Katherine’s face was one of victory and one of anger.

She waved the family on ahead, telling them she would meet them at the ship, closing the door behind her, and stepping forward to Katherine who didn’t even flinch.

“What are you doing here?” Caroline asked.

What was she doing here, she didn’t know this snow person and she and Caroline were most definitely not BFF’s yet she was standing right in front of her right now, feeling like she was cracking and ready to shatter into a million pieces.

“I don’t know” she replied softly.

Caroline not only confused but surprised at the same time, anyone with eyes could easily tell that she was conflicted but she was confused as to why she would end up here or by her of all places and people in this town.

So Caroline asked the most basic question anyone could ask her right now, because for some reason she seemed as if she wanted….dare she say it….advice.

‘What’s wrong?”

Katherine hesitated for a bit, not wanting to feel weak at all, especially in front of her.

But she was incredibly conflicted and the most selfless person she knew was standing right in front of her and she hated feeling weak, but seeking advice didn’t make you weak, did it?

“Why are you going with the Original gang to this Neverland anyway, when Klaus no longer wants you, he’ll just kill you and be done with your whiny voice” the snarkiness in her tone didn’t sit well with Caroline but she had to remember that showing her that she was affected by her words let her know that she was winning.

“Because I love Bonnie and I’m not leaving her with people I just met, not that it’s any of your business, shouldn’t you be on a plane to the nearest continent by now?” Caroline asked with just as much sarcasm as she imagined Katherine would.

Katherine racked her brain for a vague enough reply (even though she didn’t have to respond to her at all) that will not make her sound weak.

“Let’s just say that I’m waiting for someone to change their mind” and it was true, she was waiting for Elijah to find her and tell her that he wanted to go and live in peace with her, with sweet promises like he always had but in the back of her mind, she knew for a fact that no matter what Klaus had done, he would always love him as he did the rest of his family.

Caroline shrugged and moved to the side of Katherine to make her way out, the vague words ‘ _waiting for someone to change their mind_ ’ echoed in her mind, trying to figure out what that meant.

Caroline knew she had no one she was emotionally tied to here, apart from Elijah, but that was like 500 years ago, or so what Elena had told her on one of their many conversations…

Wait…

They couldn’t be…

_Noooooo……_

They were there together, Elijah had stood up for her first hand, he hadn’t even said that she was not worth it, it almost felt as if he was silently pleading for her freedom.

_500 years was enough_

Now that she was thinking about it, his voice sounded firm, like a silent warning almost, calm but deadly at the same time, forceful as well.

That meant that….

“Oh My God” she gasped in realisation.

She realised that she was out of Granny’s building at this point. She was probably thinking the whole time she was making her way down.

She heard the door open and spun on her heels, Katherine made her way out and turned the other way to go somewhere quiet so she could think for herself but Caroline was in front of her in a flash, studying her face carefully and Katherine couldn’t help herself, she felt like she was being scanned by a lie detector and she couldn’t tell what kind of look she had on her face but she knew it was one that Caroline was studying like a book.

“You and Elijah are together, aren’t you, he decided to stay with Klaus and his other siblings instead of leaving with you”

Was it written on her face in big and black bolded letters or something?

“What do you care?” she scoffed but it was weak and it made matters worst with Caroline.

Caroline rolled her eyes, sometimes Katherine reminded her of Klaus, hiding behind a mask filled with hate, sarcasm and a heartless soul but deep down (we’re talking black hole deep) they were afraid to be alone and Katherine’s need to put herself before others was going to lead her to being alone for the rest of her undead life, however long she saw fit to live with herself.

“Katherine, you’ve never risked your life for someone else, always caring about your own survival, you can  prove us all wrong and show Elijah that you really love him and was not using him to gain your freedom back and stay by his side, regardless of the fact that your life will be at risk or you can prove us all right by leaving as soon as possible, disappointing Elijah above all people, it’s your choice and we will do each other a favor and forget this conversation ever happened” and with that, Caroline flashed off, leaving the doppelganger to make her own decisions.

Katherine stood silently and watched the blonde depart in another direction. She loved Elijah, with whatever heart she still had left, he had given her a second chance when no one else did and she didn't want to lose him.

Having three out of four angry originals breathing down her neck didn't sound very appealing especially Klaus.

Katherine sighed sadly and looked in the direction that Elijah has gone with longing eyes and a clenching chest.

Katherine was now left with a decision to make, one might change not only her life but also risk it but the other will guarantee her safety away from the psychotic hybrid.

She could leave right now and she would be safe but she would forever regret her decision, she would roam the earth knowing that he was somewhere on this planet but no longer loved her and cared for her anymore and it would have been no one’s fault but her own.

Her own words were ringing in her ears now.

‘ _If we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?’_

She was a wise girl when she was human because those words were more powerful now than they were then.

If she didn’t want love, why did she really want to live?

Her sole existence had been to evade Klaus and now that she had her freedom back, she could go anywhere and do anything she wanted. She had the chance to be free. Katherine wanted her freedom but she couldn’t bear to leave Elijah.

But what would be the point in doing it alone.

She didn’t realize that she was absent mindly walking until she ended up at the peer where everyone was either getting ready to leave or waiting on someone. She saw Caroline immediately making her way up the gangplank, then as she got closer, began to hear others. Klaus and Elijah were on deck, with Kol snoring away below. His sister complained about something and Stefan, surprisingly, snapped back. She heard Bonnie’s frustrated sigh and the muttering of Latin.

Katherine  heard the fairy tale characters as well. The Prince and Princess and the Evil Queen were below deck. The blonde was above.

However, the Warlock was absent. No doubt, the one they were waiting on. Surely they weren’t waiting on her.

Then she saw Elijah, talking to his brother. The man had killed her family and attempted to kill her yet Elijah loved him. How could a man who claimed to love you, not hate Klaus for what he had done?

_‘He is family’_

They may be only half brothers but Elijah dared not acknowledge that, he claimed that they were blood brothers whether he liked it or not.

She had no one. She didn’t have a family. The closest family she had was _sweet Elena_ , but that didn’t matter.

She was alone, no one to care for her, no one to talk with, she had no one but Elijah had his family and he loved them above all, she has accepted that a long time ago but never fully understood why until today.

Because she didn’t have a family of her own. Katherine’s dark eyes darkened as that memory played through her head. She saw blood. Blood everywhere. Her father’s blood. Her mother’s blood. Her siblings’ blood. They were all dead because of her. A sob escaped Katherine’s throat but she quickly covered it up. She was Katherine Pierce. She didn’t cry. Crying was never her forte.

_Who’s fault was that?_

Who was she even kidding. Even if her family hadn’t been slaughtered by Klaus, they would not have turned into a vampire, they would have seen her as a monster and either attempted to kill her or disown her completely and banish her again and she would have still been alone.

She hadn’t been alone these past few months, she’d been with Elijah and it was blissful, she had gotten so accustomed to waking up in his arms in the morning to falling asleep in them at night that she had forgotten about Klaus completely, until he received word from his sister about Kol’s death, who was involved and why they had done it.

It was then she went on her own silent mission to retrieve the cure so that she could use it to bargain for her life and be with Elijah for the rest of her eternal life.

Her mission’s silence was interrupted when Elijah showed up with his signature disappointing look on his face that made you squirm into a corner  but she kept it away from him, not out of spite but she knew he would just hand it over to Klaus and she would still be running from him and she needed her freedom, she needed to be free. Katherine was no animal. She wouldn’t allow the Hybrid to have her contained.

Which then got her here, she had gotten what she wanted but not everything she wanted, if she chose her freedom, she would lose him but if she chose him, she would have to be constantly watching her back because there was hardly a soul who actually knew her but hated the very ground she walked on.

He was standing on the ship, in a very calm conversation with his brother and she was here wondering what should she do, leave or stay? Katherine’s inner struggle to come up with an answer made her want to break something. Katherine didn’t usually think. She just acted.

\---

“So where did Katarina run off to?” Klaus smirked at the tense look he received from Elijah, knowing based on her personality, it would have ticked him off. His brother looked out at the sea, leaning on the railing of the ship, his suit hardly keeping off the chill.

Not many people were on deck. The witches, Regina and Bonnie, had arrived the first of the group that had left, carrying trunks. Bonnie had cooled down a bit, the danger a little less sparking in her eyes, yet it didn’t help that both of the women looked, at least to Klaus, able to wreck the world. The Prince, Princess, and their daughter had come next. Strangely, Caroline hadn’t been with them, only arriving seconds ago. Only their daughter had stayed on deck, however, quickly joined by Caroline, messing with a compass and stealing looks at the pirate who kept checking the sails for the thousandth time.

“She left” was all he said with a look that clearly said ‘drop it’ but when did Klaus ever do as he was told? Oh yeah, never.

Even though the amusement he felt about the situation, he could have told just by the way he had defended her earlier on that Elijah loved the woman, she was the bane of his existence, made trouble for him wherever she went.

Yet Elijah, of all his brothers, had to fall in love with the doppelganger.

He gave the woman his word, she was free to do as she willed, just as long as it did not concern him and he fully expected Katarina to go off on her own and leave him once she got what she wanted but he still felt slightly bad for Elijah, only slightly.

So instead of his usual smirk of victory, he gave him a sad smile, one held with honesty.

As a bunch of brunette curls caught his eyes and heel caught his ears, the smile fell and his mouth was left open a bit slightly at the sight.

Elijah who was curious what had captured his attention so quickly, turned around and mirrored his facial expression.

She stood before them with a tiny smirk of victory “Gentlemen, it’s rude to stare” she smirked before heading down into the cabins.

“Katarina” was whispered from Elijah’s hoarse tone as he watched intently while she walked away. “KATARINA!” He yelled, as she started to head below deck, her smirk masked to Elijah. He flashed behind, and roughly grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to face him. The next second, he was pressing his lips to hers with such force, it was as though he hadn’t seen her in a thousand years. And maybe it was because he hadn’t seen her in five centuries. Hadn’t seen Katarina, not Katherine.

“You came back.” He whispered, his arms wrapped around her neck, a curtain of hope over his dark brown eyes. For once, Katherine smiled. Really smiled, not vindictively, but one full of the same hope in Elijah’s eyes.

“I need to learn how to stop running.” She replied, at the same volume, before lunging in again. Elijah  was set off balance, stumbling into the open doorway as the doppelganger wrapped her legs around him, pushing him down the stairs.

Klaus rolled his eyes, as he started to hear the pair crash into walls, though they finally found whichever door they were searching for. Hopefully, after five centuries, the pair would be _quieter_ than they had been. God knew that Klaus couldn’t stand to hear another one of his siblings having sex. Rebekah and Stefan had been bad enough in the 20’s. He didn’t want a repeat.

Caroline sidled up beside him, her eyes flicking down to look at the wood, then out to the turbulent sea.

"About last night..." She began, her lithe fingers drawing patterns on the oak.

"Forget it." Klaus spoke, interrupting her. He didn’t look at her, as her gaze drifted to his face.

She shut up immediately, she knew what was happening again, he was hiding behind a mask instead of showing her his true face.

Turning with a saddened sigh, she began to walk away when his voice stopped her..

“Normally I’d sketch a drawing of you and send it to you with the words I’m about to say but since you’re here, "I want to say thank you." Klaus said, ignoring Caroline's wishes.

"For what?" Caroline asked as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Thank you for telling me what I needed to hear." He said, his blue eyes struggled to main contact with hers. The stare between them lasted only a few seconds, but there was enough heat, enough longing, enough passion shared in the ice blues to cause Caroline to turn and run, back down the stairs, to the safety and comfort of her friends.

\----------

After a grueling thirty minutes of waiting, at least for vampires, as Katherine and Elijah were going at it like bunnies just several feet away, Gold showed up, with the young woman whom he had cured at the diner on his arm.

“Finally…” Regina mumbled, sourly coming up on deck, Bonnie coming after her clutching the bean as the crocodile boarded the ship, leaving Belle on the concrete with a final kiss, tears in her eyes, and a scrap of paper clutched in her hands.

Rumple looked back at her, his eyes showing so much more emotion than a ‘crocodile’ could have. He was torn. He needed her, yet, it was right to leave her here. Out of harm’s way. Behind a cloak, so that no one from this world could find this town to hurt her, again.

Belle gave him a sad little wave, pressing her hand to her lips and throwing out a delicate kiss. Out of habit, wanting to cherish each and every one of those feather like touches, he caught it, and gave her one in return, before walking up the rest of the gangplank, resuming the manner of a crocodile.

“Were you waiting for _me,_ dearies?” He sneered, taking out a strange golden globe and pricking his finger. The crimson blood ran onto the metal and a strangely shaped land appeared. It wasn’t the earth that was for sure, as Emma peered over her son’s grandfather’s shoulder.

“Where do we need to go?” Bonnie asked, holding the bean in her hands, ready to toss it out to sea and mutter the words.

“Where did they take Henry?” asked Regina at the same time, not recognizing the island either.

“Neverland.” Hook said, from behind Emma, his brow creased into a worried frown. Subconsciously, he put his only hand on her shoulder.

“What’s so bad about Neverland?” Kol asked, a sparkle in his eyes, at the thought of Peter Pan. Having read the books before, he--like the rest of the Mystic Falls group--couldn’t see any dangers from a place out of fairy tales.

Hook and Gold simultaneously gave the Original a glare, the captain pausing from his tightening of the ropes and battening down of the hatches.

“Everything.” Hook answered.

“The people that took Henry? Who are they?” asked David, as he shut the cabin door tight, from the outside, pushing down the bolt.

“They're merely pawns, manipulated by forces far greater than they can conceive. They have no idea who they're truly working for.” Gold said darkly.

“And who's that?” Emma asked, standing next to Killian at the helm. Bonnie looked at the pirate. When he nodded that he was ready. She placed the bean on the deck and began to mutter words none of them could understand.

As the portal began to expand out in the direction her hands were spread, in the water Gold answered the question, his tone grave.

“Someone we all should fear.”

The portal expanded to the size of the Jolly Roger, Bonnie’s arms lifted in order to stabilize the mass of magical energy. With a lurch, the ship moved forward into the hole, a howling maelstrom of darkness towards Neverland.

**Review?**

**-Cindy, Kat & Hana **

 

 

 


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